What?
by ForeverPercabeth
Summary: An overly confident senior tries to catch a beautiful gray eyed blonde's attention but is in for a BIG surprise. Set after the Giant War.
1. Chapter 1

**Alright, so this is one of those Annabeth gets picked up by Percy from school kind of fics but please give mine a chance. Not really a creative title and I apologize but I can't think of anything else that best fit it. Mike's POV. Thanks for the support! I hope you enjoy!:)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians.**

It was all clear now.

Annabeth Chase is the most _gorgeous _person I have ever seen in my life. It was no surprise that every single guy in my school adored her and wanted her for themselves. She was so perfect- smart and beautiful and athletic.

My hands were shaking as I leaned against the walls, brushing away a stray lock of brown hair from my forehead. It annoyed me to no end that she cancelled the blind date our parents have set up for us, just because she was busy. Well, that was what my father said. This time, my heart was set into asking her out myself. She turned down everyone else and I'm the only one left so she has to be waiting for me.

Everything was planned out perfectly. She would be beside a tree, talking to her friends and waiting for her ride home. And I'd walk up to her, being all cool and calm and collected. I'd smile my brightest smile at her, the one that was meant to make girls swoon, and just casually ask her to dinner. She's going to accept and we'll live happily ever after.

I smirked.

Her stormy gray eyes were focused on a book, but she was listening to her best friend chat away. She sported a simple white tube top and short shorts, her long slender legs were covered by black knee-high boots. If someone else wore that, they would probably look slutty but she wore it so perfectly that it didn't on her. The one that infuriated me the most was that she had another layer on, a varsity jacket with the word _Jackson_ at the back. Maybe a cousin? A close friend?

The piece of clothing was two sizes bigger than her, surely belonging to a male or an extremely large female. The sleeves were rolled up so that her hands were free and the length was just past her shorts. Her usually ponytailed hair was down and tucked neatly over her shoulder. Mesmerized by her beauty, I took a step forward.

A loud gasp close by made me lose concentration and focus on where it came from. My eyes landed on a figure by the gates, and then the car beside him. A silver convertible, what I soon recognized as an Aston Martin One-77. He surely isn't poor if he drives _that. _He wasn't low on the looks department too. The stranger was tall, lean, and muscular- the exact body of a professional swimmer. His skin was perfectly tanned and his hair was a mop of jet black. But his eyes were hidden behind a pair of Ray Bans so I can't really determine what color they were.

I started to itch with jealousy. Why can't _I _look as good as him?

Our resident slut was already all over him, as expected. She would never pass up an opportunity like this. What I didn't notice was another car behind his, this time a Jeep Wrangler. There were four people aboard but soon showed themselves to the public. Two men and two women.

The first guy had close cropped blonde hair and startling blue eyes. His build was more of a football player and his face didn't disappoint. As for the other one, he was probably the youngest of all of them but clearly not the least. He was very pale and those irises of his were dark and endless. The atmosphere around him was dangerous and terrifying. The small smile on his face contradicted everything.

As for the ladies, they were both absolutely beautiful. The one closest to the blonde, had choppy brown hair in braids. She was darker, probably Cherokee. I can't really distinguish what color her eyes were because it seemed to change color the more I stare at her. And the last one had spikey black hair and the same color eyes as the blonde guy so it was possible that they were related. She had thick eyeliner on so it was obvious that she was the punk rocker kind of girl.

I focused again on the original stranger, the one who was obviously waiting for someone.

Seeing that the sight was irrelevant, my gaze drifted back to the task at hand. But they surely got Annabeth's attention. She was looking at them in confusion and some other emotion, one I recognized easily as adoration. The wealthy dark haired swimmer approached us, scaring me for a moment.

He stopped in front of my soon-to-be girlfriend. A smirk was playing on his lips and he lowered his sunglasses to reveal a pair of unusual sea green eyes. "Why do you make it a habit to steal my clothes?" he teased, laughing slightly.

For the first time, I actually saw Ms. Annabeth Chase blush to the color of tomatoes. She regained her composure quickly, pulling the jacket closer to her body. "Not my fault that it's more comfortable than mine." She mumbled. "Here, you can have it back."

"Nah," He waved it off, "It's better on you than me."

The man lowered his face enough so that they were nose to nose. Their lips were millimeters apart. "I missed you, Wise Girl." Was the only thing he said before pulling her into a passionate kiss. I stumbled back in shock, waiting for my long time crush to react like she's supposed to and slap him in the face. I was even waiting for her confession that she was in love with me.

But nothing like that happened.

They pulled away after a good five minutes but didn't let go of each other. He tilted his head so that he was looking at me. "Oh, who's he?" The question was so very innocent that it infuriated me to the brim. How _dare _he steal her from me! She's mine!

He raised an eyebrow at the anger clearly seen in my face. Annabeth saw it as well but she just looked at me disapprovingly. "Seaweed Brain, this is Mike. He's in my history class. I told you about him, remember? He's coming over tomorrow for our project." Oh yeah, we had a study date in exactly twenty hours. I can't believe I forgot.

"Come on guys!" One of his friends called from the distance. They all looked very impatient. "What's taking you so long? We have to get to camp, remember? Chiron has to tell us something."

Annabeth chuckled, "Coming Thalia!" she called back in her angelic voice. "See you soon, Mike."

Percy turned to Anna's friends, "It's nice seeing you again Mindy, Sam." They both smiled brightly.

"You, too, Perce." The girls answered at the exact same time.

Once they left, I immediately turned to Annabeth's best friends, my arms crossed and a look of pure determination etched in my features. They were amused at my reaction, of course. "I'm sensing that you want to ask us something?" Mindy teased, flipping her strawberry blonde locks.

I glared at the two of them. "Who was he and what was he doing with her?" I demanded. I'm not going to stop until I get a proper answer.

Sam snorted, "That was Percy Jackson. He studies in Goode High with his cousins and his best friends. They've been dating for almost two years now."

"Two years?" I asked in disbelief. They nodded in confirmation. They've been together for two years already? I managed a small gulp. No way can I get in between that strong of a relationship.

But they weren't done yet. "They first met when they were twelve at the summer camp they still go to and been best friends ever since. They haven't stopped being best friends until now so you can't expect her to keep anything from him." They giggled at the same time, making me a tiny bit uncomfortable. "Annie won't shut up about him. I actually thought that he wasn't real because of how perfect he sounded but apparently, he was. Not to mention Jason and Nico."

"Who are those other four people?" This was getting really interesting really fast.

Mindy smiled, sitting on the soft green grass. "The two guys are Percy's cousins. Jason's sister, Thalia, is Annabeth's best friend. And Piper, the brunette, is like her sister. I was actually surprised that she didn't transfer to Goode because all of her closest friends are there."

And I thought that _they _were her best friends. "And you're not jealous of them at all?"

"Nope." Sam answered, "She is our best friend but she's known them the longest and been through more than we ever will. Plus, you don't want to mess with Annabeth's relationship. The last time someone flirted with her in front of Percy, well, let's just say that he's still not walking until today."

They were about to leave when Mindy turned around, smirking. "Oh, I forgot to mention that you'll be seeing Annabeth's boyfriend again during your so called 'study date'." She mused.

"Why?"

"They're living together." The other girl answered, laughing.

My eyes widened. "WHAT?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Alright, since so many of you requested it, I decided to make this story longer. Sorry if I haven't updated sooner but I was having a serious case of writer's block and I couldn't think of anything. But here's the chapter. I hope you guys like it.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians.**

* * *

The fact that someone else was going to watch our date terrified me beyond belief. I would have accepted if it was Annabeth's parents or even siblings but it has to be the overprotective boyfriend for two years.

I took a deep shaky breath, staring at the wooden door in before me. I was in front of their apartment, something I clearly didn't expect because the car they own was very expensive. I had a feeling that maybe they stole it from someone or anything similar to that. Percy just gives me the worst feeling, like he's going to start hurting her when everyone's backs are turned.

I'm ready to report that if it's true.

My brain considered all the options and looked for any escape passages. The fire exit's possible. Maybe if I'm fast enough, I can run to the door. Yes, that was a good idea. With a contented smile, I knocked thrice.

Thalia answered with an intense glare. I flinched at the sight, positioning myself for an easy escape. Luckily for me, she did nothing else. "Annabeth's in the kitchen." She muttered, crossing her arms. So she wasn't angry at me but at someone else.

I observed the rather large flat, feeling uncomfortable. It practically screamed for me to run while it was still early, before anything could permanently damage me. My eyes travelled to the kitchen to see the prettiest girl in the world. She was sitting on the countertop, laughing at something I didn't really understand.

After many steps forward, I saw the reason why she was so happy. Her so called 'boyfriend' was goofing off while making lunch. I didn't find it funny at all, really, but I can't help but admire how easily he could make her smile. Many guys in my school tried very hard but failed miserably.

She saw me.

"Hey Mike. You're early." She jumped down to the ground and flashed me a beautiful grin. I blushed deeply. "We'll get started after Percy here stops burning the pasta." He gave her a playful nudge but turned back to whatever he was cooking.

"Nico! Give me back my album!" Someone screeched from upstairs. And then footsteps followed soon after.

The young teenage boy cackled maniacally, arriving soon at the kitchen and standing right beside me. True enough, he was holding a Green Day album that looked very well taken care of. Jason was laughing when he reached us, followed by another stranger.

He was Latino, with pointed ears and a mischievous smile on his face. His curly brown hair looked greased and there were oil stains on his shirt and pants but he didn't seem to care about how he looked, and so did the others. "You should know better than to take anything from Thalia. Remember the last time?" Annabeth shook her head.

"Aw, come on Annie. Stop being such a kill joy." The boy who introduced himself as Leo teased, laughing.

She shot me an apologetic look. I just shrugged, acting as if I'm not weirded out at all by this.

The atmosphere tensed, turning deadly. The two other girls appeared right in front of us, expressions murderous. "Give it back!" Thalia demanded.

"I don't think I will." He looked triumphant, holding the object tighter.

Piper sighed, "I can't believe I'm doing this but you brought this on yourself, Nico."

And then all my thoughts came to a stop once she opened her mouth again. Her voice was smooth, velvety, ordering me to do something and I didn't have the strength to say no. I turned to Nico and saw that he was struggling as well until he gave in and handed her the album back.

I snapped out of it, grabbing onto the wall for support. "What happened?" I asked them, my voice hoarse.

"It's nothing. Piper can be _very _persuasive when she wants to be." Jason answered, chuckling. He wrapped an arm around the said girl and kissed her lightly on the cheek. She giggled.

They called us for lunch and we crowded around the small table. I sat at the far end of the sofa in the living room, eating slowly. "I'm really sorry about them," Annabeth said, sheepish. "I specifically ordered them to stay in their rooms."

Aw, she's so cute when she's embarrassed. "It's fine, really. I'm not really new to this kind of things." She nodded and placed a hand on my shoulder. My heart skipped a beat.

We were left alone soon after, seeing that she demanded that they stay inside their rooms until she could tell them to come out. Finally, peace and quiet with Annabeth.

She sat cross legged on the carpeted floor, scanning her notes and the book. I can't help but admire her intelligence and determination and her passion and bravery and loyalty and confidence…. Why did she have to be with a guy who is very good looking and equally athletic? Why can't she like those who are smart and cute and kind like me? She deserved someone who understood what she's talking about and spends all of their time with her.

I snapped out of my daydream once I noticed what she was wearing. Her upper half was hidden behind an oversized orange t-shirt, the sleeves falling down her shoulder and the length reaching mid-thigh. It was clearly Percy's and I felt extremely jealous at how he gets to see her like this every day and I barely get a glimpse.

"Mike? Are you listening?" She snapped her fingers in front of my face and my eyes shot up to her stormy gray ones.

I coughed, "Yeah… just… um…" Wow, real smooth. I mentally smacked myself. That was a really stupid thing to say.

She smiled slightly. "I was saying that we should make a replica of the…" And then I drifted off again.

Someone bounded down the hallway and I realized that it was Percy. I leaned away from Annabeth, afraid that he might hit me for even staring at her. He didn't notice, thank goodness. "Hey, Wise Girl. Have you seen my blue shirt? I can't find it anywhere."

He wore nothing but jeans and a pair of worn out converse. "What did I tell you about walking around the house shirtless?" she scolded, shaking her head but blushing all the same. "Check in the hamper. I remember washing it yesterday."

His eyes lit up and kissed her gratefully, running back to where he came from. She looked dazed for a moment before focusing on me once again.

Annabeth wasn't the same the rest of the day. She would constantly look at the door leading to her boyfriend's bedroom, fidgeting uncontrollably and trying hard to stay in her seat. I noticed easily, of course. It wasn't that hard to ignore. Whenever I would ask her what was wrong, she'd just flash me a grin and focus again on the book.

I started reading when my eyes focused on one word. "Remind me what Tartarus is again? I forgot."

That was where I made my mistake.

Tears started streaming down her flawless face, looking as if she was in so much pain. I jumped in surprise, holding her by the arm and asking her what was wrong. "Annabeth, I'm so sorry. What did I do wrong?"

She looked at me, "Percy!" She screamed until her voice cracked. "Percy!"

His name. She kept on saying his name, over and over again.

I soon heard heavy footsteps, followed by lighter ones. He appeared with the rest of his friends, all of them extremely worried for the sake of the woman _I _loved. Why was she searching for him when I was right in front of her?

Piper approached me, "What happened?" She demanded, "Did you hurt her?"

"N-n-no." I choked out, "I just asked her something and she started crying. I'm sorry. I don't know what I did wrong." The fear that I thought already left filled me once again. They're going to hurt me for hurting her.

And then I saw it. She was absolutely terrified, her calm gray eyes now wild with confusion and pain. "I lost you, Percy. I did. And I was alone and… I was so scared. They killed you. They took you away from me." She gasped for air, her hands in fists. "I couldn't fight them. Everything hurt and I saw them…" More tears replaced the old ones, her breathing turned labored and she kept on frantically shaking her head that I was afraid it might come off.

But Percy just stood there, keeping his heartbeat steady. His look mirrored hers, "I'm here, Wise Girl. We're safe and they're not going to hurt you anymore. We're together now and that's all that matters. I love you and I'm not going to leave you until you want me to. I'm going to protect you until my final breath."

"What's happening?" I whispered to the other five.

Jason sighed. "They're suffering from PTSD. It's already been almost a year since either of them had their attacks but something must have set her off." He focused on me, "What did you say, exactly?"

"I asked her what Tartarus was because I forgot. It was our lesson in school."

All of them stared at me, angry. But Piper stood in front of me, "It's not his fault. He doesn't know. But they mentioned Tartarus before, in school, in camp. Why now?"

"She saw it again." A voice said, one I recognized as Percy Jackson. He was holding her as if he owned her and my grip on the table hardened at the sight. I should be the one comforting her, sharing my love for her, protecting her. Who was he to do that? "She must have seen something she didn't like." His hands moved to his ribs, an expression replacing the other ones. He figured something out.

He held her by the shoulders, "Annabeth, baby, look at me. Look at me, please." She tilted her face up so that they were staring eye to eye. "Tell me what you see."

"Blood, so much blood. You were dead and I couldn't do anything to help you. I should have…" And then she started crying again.

I faintly noticed that the others were making their way back upstairs, probably giving them their privacy. I would have done the same thing but I was too angry and jealous to move. It was his fault that she was feeling this way. If he does a wonderful job protecting her, then why didn't he do that?

My mouth opened to speak but no words came out. Instead, he was the one who took the opportunity to talk to her. "Wise Girl, you can fight this. You already did for so long. Remember that I'll always be there for you, to help you with the nightmares and the visions and _everything. _You mean the world to me. I may have been dead but it was you who brought me back. I knew you needed me and I love you too much to leave you. We're together now."

She nodded, hugging him tightly. "I love you, Seaweed Brain. Don't you ever leave me again, for my sake and yours."

"I swear on the Styx." They shared a soft tearful kiss for a moment before he spoke again. "I love you."

PTSD. Posttraumatic stress disorder. Something must have happened before, something that scarred them for the rest of their lives. I'm not going to stop until I find out what that is. And I'm planning on taking care of her more than Percy Jackson ever did.

* * *

**Well that was dramatic. If you have any suggestions what I do next, just tell me. I want to know what you think. Review guys! It would mean a lot. Thanks for the support!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians.**

I slammed my locker door shut.

The day has been strangely uneventful and the girl I love refused to talk to me. It must have something to do with the incident last Saturday, the one that involved her getting an emotional breakdown just because of that one word that I said. It's sad, really. She just never really gave me the chance to apologize properly.

Tartarus. What was with Tartarus?

Mindy marched over to where I am, Sam following shortly after. Both of them had their arms crossed, sharing the same disapproving look on their faces. I sighed. "What do you want?"

The blonde huffed indignantly, "Anna won't talk to us. What happened last weekend? Did you break them up?" She looked very hopeful at the last statement, thinking that she might have a chance with Percy now that the greatest challenge is out of the way. I don't think it comes that easily. That's why I'm going to try twice as hard to get her this time.

They both looked so curious that I didn't have the heart to refuse them. "I asked her what Tartarus was, in Greek myths, and she just started crying and saying things like he's gone or dead and that she was alone. I don't really know what that was about."

"Tartarus? Isn't that like the mythology version of hell? Why would she react that way?" Mindy scrunched her eyebrows in confusion, something I find absolutely adorable with girls. Especially if Annabeth does it.

"Maybe she has an experience associating to that word, probably a trigger word that happened in the past or a very bad experience." Sam answered, thoughtful. "I remember hearing her saying things about how horrible Tartarus was before. She must have been through her own personal hell."

I raised an eyebrow. "What? With Percy?" I snorted. He doesn't look like the person who knows how to calm a woman down. If possible, he can make the situation so much worse. What he said yesterday must have been something he needed to memorize to make it look like he did. I'm not going to believe that an idiot like him could do that to her.

The girls glared at me. "You'd be surprised what that guy's capable of, Mike. Percy knows _everything _that happens to Annabeth and Annabeth knows everything that happens to Percy. They don't keep secrets from each other, remember?"

"If he's so good at helping her through it, then why is she still suffering?" I just can't accept that he will be better than me in that way. I have to beat him in something. I _have _to.

"It's not that easy to get over something like that. It's PTSD. They both have it because they've been through the _exact same thing. _I know that they have each other through it because you can't just forget about something like that."

We made our way back to the front entrance, bumping into people and cursing about how much homework we had. I spotted the same Aston Martin by the driveway but this time he was alone. Annabeth was fixing her things, putting them inside her bag and carrying the others. If I were her boyfriend, I would have carried her stuff for her.

Percy smiled brightly when he saw her, making out just in front of the gates. I wasn't really surprised by that now, a little jealous but not surprised.

I watched as she drove out of sight, wishing that it was me to hold her and stop her from crying. It should be me. We were destined to be together. I was absolutely sure of it. I just have to find a way to get her away from him and convince her of the truth. Maybe if I talk to her in private, it would be easier.

That's a good plan. I'll do it tomorrow.

* * *

Today was the day that I'm going to confess to her my feelings. I had every single possibility thought of and no problems whatsoever.

She was sitting down outside during lunch break, reading a book about architecture and smiling slightly to herself. There was no one else close to her, probably because Mindy and Sam wanted to help me out and give us time alone. They wished me the best of luck for they didn't think that it's going to work with Percy in the way. But I didn't care now. She has to know how much I care about her.

"Hi Annabeth." I mused, nonchalant. I didn't want her to think that I was stalking her or anything.

She looked up and nodded in acknowledgment. "Hey Mike." She said, calm but strangely uncomfortable. She's probably thinking about what happened during the study date. Yeah right, like she's going to chase me away that easily.

"Look, um, I was thinking if maybe… you and I can go on a, um, date…together." I stammered on my words, a blush creeping to my face at how stupid I must have looked like. I cleared my throat, my gaze drifting to her face.

Annabeth wasn't saying anything, really. She was just staring at me curiously and then a little sadly. "Mike, you know I have a boyfriend. I'm not planning to break things up with him so soon. He means everything to me."

"You don't know that." I mused, moving infinitesimally closer to her. "I can take care of you and give you everything you want. Just give it a try and I promise that I would never leave you."

Her eyes met with mine and I could almost see an emotion inside them. I just didn't recognize it as anger until her palm connected with my cheek. And then I felt someone grip the back of my shirt and throw me as far as ten feet from where I was sitting. The air left my lungs as I slammed to the ground. Someone towered over me, green eyes dark with malice.

"Don't you ever touch her again." The man growled, shoving me hard to the closest tree. Thank goodness I don't break easily. But I have to admit that he was strong. "If you do, you have me to deal with and I don't think you want that."

Frustration and humiliation flared up inside me. He made me seem weak in front of the girl I love. Well, the only solution now is beat him to a pulp. Yeah, that sounds easy enough. My hands curled up into fists and I swung at his face. I smiled triumphantly as I fell to the ground, watching as he wiping the slight trail of blood from his mouth.

His expression turned murderous. "You have a decent right hook." He commented even though he was about to kill me. Right, like that's going to happen. "Not good but decent."

I raised an eyebrow at him, cracking my knuckles and hoping that I looked more intimidating than he does. And at this very moment, I swear he would make any monster run to their mothers. "Look, I don't want to hurt you." I told him, slightly terrified that he might not want the same thing. "So it would be best if we end this now."

"Nah, I don't think so." He smiled sadistically, standing his ground. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Annabeth trying very hard to stop the fight but only to be held back by Piper and Thalia. Aw, she does care about me!

"Percy!" I fairly recognized the voice as Jason's. He was standing close to the girls with Nico beside him. "Take it easy on him, alright. We don't need to dispose of a body this soon."

Dispose of a body? What? They killed someone already? Are they criminals? My opponent smirked, "I can't promise you anything." He mused, "But I'll try."

I didn't see him move at all but I felt a sharp pain in my stomach and then another on my jaw. He moves so fast that he was no more than a blur. And I received blow after blow, unable to defend because I didn't know where he is. My knees buckled as I coughed up blood, my arms supporting my body from falling completely to the floor.

And then I saw him, a different smile on his face. This one filled with pity and sadness. "I hope this will teach you a lesson," He muttered to me and only me. "Never touch my Annabeth, ever."

That was the last thing I heard before I completely passed out.

**Hope you liked it! Please Review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry for the late update. I had writer's block.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians**

Annabeth:

I shook off the arms restraining me, a familiar angry fire burning from the pit of my stomach and radiating towards all parts of my body. He shouldn't have done that. It was unwise to hurt a mortal to the point of unconsciousness. He should know better after being with me for so long.

My feet brought me over to where he was standing. Ever since we defeated Gaea just a few months ago, Percy grew a whole lot calmer. I couldn't really blame him because ever since he was a child all the weight was on his shoulders. I'm glad that he gets to relax now. So it pretty much surprised me to see him lose his temper so easily, especially when it's over me.

His glare softened once he saw me but that didn't mean that mine did the same. And I was so annoyed at him that I eventually slapped him hard on the arm. "What the hell was that for?" he demanded, rubbing his abused limb.

"That was for being stupid." I growled, "You should never have done that! It was irrational and immature and idiotic. I can take care of myself, Perseus Jackson. You could have _killed _him and what's the benefit of that? You're making things worse!"

The man of my dreams clenched and unclenched his hands, his gaze moving to his feet in shame. I already expected him to start shouting back at me- it was what he would usually do during our fights- but he kept quiet. This just made me angrier. "Say something!" I yelled, hitting his chest repeatedly until he grabbed my wrists to stop me.

His sea green eyes were dark, like the water during a storm. "He touched you. He tried to _kiss _you. You're mine, Annabeth. I claimed you and I'm not letting you go." His tone was forceful and filled with passionate emotion. I opened my mouth to argue, saying that I didn't belong to anyone but he stopped me again. "Wait, Wise Girl, please. Listen to me for a moment. I love you. You're everything to me and I just can't let a _mortal _think that I'm not protecting you enough. You don't see it but I do. I saw how he looks at you. You can take care of yourself but it feels _so much better _to do it for you."

I sighed, feeling the energy being drained from me. My body felt numb as I leaned closer to his muscled torso. I was still mad at him, of course, but he had a good reason to defend my honor like that. Plus, Mike had it coming when he started flirting with me.

The bell rang signaling the end of lunch. I didn't really mind. I _was_ going home early due to the fact that it was my "mother's" birthday. It was actually meant as an excuse for me to spend the entire day with my friends. I don't even know when Athena's birthday is.

Well, the school doesn't know that.

No one spoke as we drove back to the apartment. It wasn't like I minded skipping school since I already know _everything _I need to know and more. Somehow, I had the feeling that our argument wasn't over yet. He actually said that I was his and he was mine and…. The feeling that came with the confession was comforting, warm. My pride wouldn't let me admit anything to him but I did feel the same way. I can protect myself but Percy does it better than I ever will.

Leo was fiddling with the TV remote once we opened the door. He wasn't fond of picking me up from school since he was too busy making machines or weapons. As hard as Piper or I try, we can't convince him _at all _to go to school with us. He said that it was a colossal waste of time or something. I didn't argue. Us demigods have much more important things to do than sit in a room all day knowing things that wouldn't help us in the future at all, if we ever do have a future.

Percy headed straight for his room without another word. I tend to sleep there ever since Tartarus. Nightmares haunt me so much that I just had to make sure he was still here with me. They looked _so _real.

"What's up with him?" The son of Hephaestus asked when he heard the door slam in the distance. I thought I should be the one mad at him, not the other way around.

Jason and Piper pulled their friend to the kitchen to explain everything without upsetting me. But I guess it's too late for that. Nico and Thalia knew better than to interfere as well. It was clear that my boyfriend and I fight almost all the time but this just has to be the worst in so long. It's been months since our arguing led to someone closing all kinds of communication.

My lips were in pursed into a thin line, trying to suppress all the emotions. I knew that I was as stiff as a board and the only thing that showed my feelings were my eyes. The tears were ready to come. I've always hated fighting with him.

With a deep breath, I made my way to the familiar hallway and knocked on the wooden door at the end. It creaked open and I was glad that there was no resistance on the other side. Oh so he is open to talk to me. I was glad for that.

He was sitting on the bed when I saw him, his face buried on his palms and the usual even breathing hitched every once in a while. That was when I realized that he was crying. I didn't even know what it was with men that they couldn't show their tears in public. But it made me feel guilty that I was partially responsible for this. I got mad at him for protecting me. "Percy," I whimpered, kneeling in front of him. I took both of his hands in mine and brushed the hair from his face, looking directly at his mesmerizing green orbs.

"Tell me what's wrong." My voice was in a whisper, calming him as much as myself. "Seaweed Brain…"

I was suddenly sitting on his lap, his arms wrapped around my back and his tears soaking my shirt. He didn't talk. He just made little gasping sounds due to lack of breath. I held him tight, confused. Was he having one of his attacks? The kind that only we share?

My lips met his for a moment, soft and sweet and comforting. "Please, talk to me." It was harder for me than it was for him. I may hate fighting with him but seeing the effects was so much worse. I didn't hold back my own sobs, seeing that there was no need to be strong when there was no one expecting anything from us. We saved the world twice already. Right now, I just want to be with him.

"I-" he choked out, his mouth near my neck. "I can't lose you." He managed, "Please don't leave me."

Why would he think that? I He cut me off, yet again. "I know what you're gonna say. It's ridiculous, I know too. But it's possible. There are so many guys out there, so much better than I ever will be and you might find one who can treat you better than I do."

"Percy, where is this coming from?" I asked, incredulous. I grabbed him by the shoulders, wiping the tears from his cheeks and making sure that we were nose-to-nose. "I will never think of such a thing. We're meant to be together and I can't possibly live without you."

He looked very sad. "Your mother came to visit me a few minutes before you did." He murmured. "She said that she found someone in camp who she thinks is worthy of you. I begged her to not take you away from me, until you say that you don't want to be with me anymore. If that time does come, I'm not going to force you to stay."

"Don't say that!" I ordered. "Athena doesn't know anything about how I feel for you. Perseus Poseidon Jackson, you are my life and I don't possibly know what I'm going to do without you. She's stupid to think that I'm better off with someone else."

Seaweed Brain nodded mutely. His eyes told me everything I needed to know and I smiled brightly when I saw so much emotion, "I love you, too." I mused, kissing him hard and full of unexplainable passion.

We didn't dare speak about my mother anymore. All we did was spend the entire time buried under the covers and proclaiming our love for one another to the point where we just fell asleep without worrying about what position we were in.

It was 4 in the afternoon when I woke up again. He was still asleep on his side of the bed, drooling on his pillow and looking as adorable as ever. The entire dramatic encounter just a few hours ago was forgotten because we knew that there was a reason why we suffered and survived Tartarus together. If we were with any other people, we would have been dead by now. But we weren't and here I am to tell the story.

There was laughter coming from outside and I was used to the sound. It was comforting really. Every time I come home annoyed from school, it's the first thing I hear.

Someone screamed my name.

I sat bolt upright, sprinting to where I heard it to find three of my friends rolling on the ground and the other two posing on top of the coffee table. Their positions told me that it had something to do with my past. Let's see, Nico must have been Percy and Thalia was me. After a few longer glances, I realized the scene as the day after the Giant War, when we returned back to camp.

Okay, so maybe they _are _starting to get very immature.

Seeing that there was no use trying to argue, I went back to bed where Percy hasn't moved yet. Though he was wide awake now, his eyes were focused on the ceiling.

A small smile made its way to my face as I tackled him to a hug.

**Not my best chapter but I really wanted to get this one done and over with so I could start the other one. If you have any suggestions, please tell me and I'll try to make as much of them possible. I think I'll probably end by the tenth chapter or less...**

**Again, I'm sorry if you weren't really satisfied. Thanks for the support and please review!:)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Okay, back to Mike's POV. Sorry for the late update and I really hope you like this one. Hehehe...**

Mike:

I entered the school bruised and battered.

It has already been an entire week ever since I got beaten to a pulp and I still haven't recovered. It was only when my best friends found me bleeding on the ground that I found out how serious my injuries really are. My arm got dislocated from the hard impact to the floor- which is still on a sling, btw- and I had a slight concussion from when he slammed me to the tree.

My older brother wanted to confront Percy personally but I convinced him not to. I didn't like being weak. The situation will only become worse if they found me hiding behind my family.

Rumors were spreading about what happened and all of them were so ridiculous that I wanted to laugh. Some think I was mugged, others said that grade schoolers did this to me for bullying them. It was easy to ignore, of course. People just tend to make fun of me nowadays.

Something made me stop dead in my tracks.

Annabeth Chase was leaning against her lockers, laughing as a guy talked to her. Their casual banter and obvious flirting can be seen from a mile away. I wondered if what I did _finally _broke them up. But if so, then why is she with someone else and not with me?

I can't really describe him as anything else _but _tall. He has his back to me and a hoodie was covering most of his face. His voice was familiar though. I just couldn't pinpoint where I heard it before.

My jaw fell to the ground at what he did next. Both of his hands found her waist and pulled her close. Anna blushed, her arms casually moving around his neck. And then they kissed.

Through it all, the hoodie fell to reveal an unruly mop of jet black. I took a tentative step back when I realized who it was. Surely there was only one person in the universe with hair like that.

I ran through the halls in my weak state. I needed answers to so many questions and the only explanation had to be that life is punishing me for trying t get in between the so-called "Percabeth." Who made the couple name anyways? A group of girls who knows nothing better than to gossip?

Eventually I reached Mindy and Sam, hoping that they can tell me what I need to know. They always seem to have the answers. "What is Percy Jackson doing here?"

They looked at me as if I was crazy. They probably didn't know yet and I couldn't really blame them. I barely recognized the man when he had his hoodie on. "Oh my God! Why didn't I see him? Are you sure he's here? Like inside this building?" The hand gestures and exclamations were making me dizzy. She seriously has to stop overreacting.

"Yes, yes." I said impatiently. "He's just at the end of this hallway as we speak. Do you have any idea why?"

Sam shrugged. "Anna didn't mention anything about it," Her face turned thoughtful. "Maybe he has something to do here. That's possible, right?"

"No, I don't think so." I contradicted, unconvinced and thoroughly confused. It just didn't add up. Nothing at all made sense.

Mindy crossed her arms, tilting her chip up. "You know what. Why don't we just ask them? It's so much better than wondering about something that might not even be true."

How come I didn't think of that? Oh yeah, maybe because the guy just _happened _to be my worst rival and he might as well beat me up again. He did it once. He can do it again.

"Oh come on, Mikey." The blonde teased, nudging me on the ribs. I winced. I still had a very painful bruise there. She didn't see it. "I don't think Percy would hurt you where adults can see. He doesn't like fighting people with an audience, other than the people involved of course."

I raised an eyebrow at her direction. "How did you know that?" I questioned, slightly exasperated. We only had ten minutes till classes start and we're wasting so much precious time. They could have gone to some other place and we might not get to ask them.

"I just do." She smiled and said nothing else. I have a feeling she's been doing her research about a certain black haired man lately. I couldn't blame her. I was actually planning to do the same but this time, something relating to how they act and why they act like that.

Once we reached Annabeth's lockers, we found them in a passionate make-out session. The girls beside me cooed at how 'adorable' they looked and how 'perfect' they were for each other. I, on the other hand, was very much disgusted, unless it was me who she was kissing then I won't mind at all.

The weird thing was that no one even bothered to scold them. Students kept their distance while the teachers turned to glare. But they didn't say anything, at all. I could have stopped them myself but I was too afraid of Percy Jackson hitting me again. I have to admit that I'm a little scared of him now.

But that doesn't mean that I'd stop pursuing Ms. Chase.

Samantha tapped Annabeth on the shoulder, causing them to jump apart in surprise. Her lips were bruised and swollen and her face was flushed red. The usually kept hair was out of its ponytail and tumbling down her shoulders in messy curls. If possible, she turned an even brighter color and fixed herself as much as possible.

Percy rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, running a hand through his hair and straightening his shirt. I swear I saw most of the female population swoon at the simple act, some already glaring daggers at my genius future girlfriend.

"So, is there something you want from us?" Anna smiled kindly, leaning against the man beside her.

As if by instinct, all three of us shrugged. "No, we were just curious as to why Percy's here. You never really said anything to us." Mindy shifted uncomfortably from where she was standing.

"You're going to figure that one out during PE. Now, if you excuse us, we have to go. Homeroom's in two minutes and I don't want to be late."

My archenemy laughed, "You really never changed. But I find it cute." He kissed her on the cheek before they sprinted through the halls. I was too shocked to move. I had no idea what just happened and I barely got the answer that I wanted. It made me very frustrated to say the least.

PE was still after lunch at the gym. Other than history, it was the only class I shared with Annabeth and I've never been happier in my life. And it just so happened that Mindy and Sam were sharing it with me as well. Sadly, though, I can't perform in any of the sports due to my current state so I just have to watch from the sidelines. That's what I hate the most.

The curiosity overwhelmed me for the rest of the morning and half of the afternoon. I barely paid attention to my classes and I was just really happy that I didn't get called out by the teacher.

As I trudged towards my next venue, which so happened to be the basement pool, I realized that we were starting another sport now. And I cursed my injuries because I absolutely _adore _swimming. So many people commented how good I was in the water and it was really sad that we didn't have a varsity swim team.

Wait, what if Percy was here to teach us how to move in the water?

Seeing how truly ridiculous the thought was, I shook my head.

I sighed as I sat on the bench, the water taunting me to the brink of insanity. The rest of the class came in but I immediately spotted Mindy and Sam. The sad part was that they were very busy laughing with Annabeth and our so called 'visitor'.

I saw him whisper something to his girlfriend and she smiled brightly before tugging his hand to the boy's locker room. There wasn't anyone there now that most of the guys are waiting impatiently at the edge of the pool, splashing water at whoever gets too close.

The coach arrived, per usual, and stood close to the others. He started about how we were going to take up swimming the next three weeks and that we should always be prepared and blah, blah, blah. I sorta zoned off when he reached the part of rules during this class. It was common sense not to run or shove. My school mates just happen to lack it.

My head snapped up at the mention of a name. "Now, today, we have a special guest from Goode High to help me with teaching you. Percy Jackson, could you come up here?"

I noticed many of the girls straighten up, adjusting their swimsuits to show off more of their bodies. Sure, I'm a guy and I hate him, but even I have to admit that he was more attractive than I thought. My insides burned with envy, eyeing the perfect torso and lean muscles. Not to mention the fact that Annabeth was holding on to him for dear life.

_My Annabeth._

"Okay." He started, smiling uncomfortably. "So, I'm Percy Jackson and I'm the captain of Goode's swim team. And, I'm very proud to say that we haven't lost yet." Anna nudged him on the rib, smirking. He laughed and wrapped an arm around her. "Um, well, they asked me to come here because I had nothing better to do and well, swimming is sort of like a passion. I would be more than happy to help people with it."

Coach Mac nodded, "Alright, Mr. Jackson. Why don't you show them what you've got? They don't seem to believe how much of a… swimmer you are." I could almost see the small mischievous smile on my teacher's face. I have a feeling that they know each other from outside school.

"Yes, of course." He answered.

Percy made his way to the diving board and positioned himself perfectly. That was even better than how _I _do. "Are you timing this, Mac?"

"Yup! So don't hesitate to slow down."

**REVIEW PLEASEE! Thanks for the support!**


	6. Chapter 6

**You guys have been AMAZING! The reviews helped a lot and I promise to make as much of it or, if possible, all of it come true. Oh yeah, I'm switching POV's per chapter so that you'd understand more of the OC's.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own PJO or HoO**

Annabeth:

With great force, Percy Jackson dove to the water.

My heart leapt as I watched him do what he does best, smiling a little when I saw the awestruck faces from the audience. He has the tendency to go overboard when he wants to.

Coach Mac, who just happened to be the satyr assigned to this school, looked smug as if it was him who taught my boyfriend this. Sometimes, he acts so much like Hedge that it terrified me. He just wasn't as violent. Maybe they were long lost brothers or extremely close cousins, I don't know. And _everyone _knows how much I hate not knowing.

Anyways, after about five seconds or so, I already saw my Seaweed Brain heading back. My eyebrows scrunched up in confusion, wondering why he wasn't going full speed like he usually does. Maybe I just wasn't used to that anymore. But I have to admit that he was absolutely beautiful when he's like this. He's so happy and comfortable and carefree, not to mention the fact that he was so graceful.

With a towel hanging on his shoulders, he approached where I was standing. His sea green eyes were filled with unconditional love that I almost melted on the spot. "How long was it?" he asked after making sure that I was in his arms.

"11.58 seconds." Mac shook his head, "What happened? You're usually faster."

When my schoolmates heard of this, they gasped simultaneously. I would be surprised too if I wasn't so used to seeing him go all out so often. Yes, I was disappointed that he relaxed this time. Mike frowned, confused and angry.

Percy shrugged, "I guess I just didn't feel like it." He answered, laughing. "Plus, wouldn't it be weird if they saw me finishing an entire lap in less than seven seconds?"

"I guess," the satyr answered. He was losing the entire act now. That was usually our effect with the people who know the story between me and my boyfriend. Even if they don't show it or say it, I knew they felt bad for what we just did. Right now, this was the most perfect example, even if it wasn't the most perfect time for it.

I didn't like it. Percy didn't either. We hate it when people pity us and then try to hide it. We didn't survive Tartarus just to get those sad looks and special treatments. "Mac, you know how we feel about that." I muttered, facing my teacher.

He just nodded, "Yes, I know. But the feeling comes naturally. You two have been through a lot and all of us just want you to be happy."

"We are, don't worry about it." A small reassuring smile appeared on his flawless face. His hair was still dripping wet but I didn't mind seeing that I'll soon be joining him in the water together with the rest of the class.

Speaking of school, we still have people to teach. And said people were looking at our little exchanged with the most questioning expressions. Percy clapped his hands to break the tension forming, never letting me out of his sight. I did the same. It wasn't my fault that he's the sexiest man alive- according to the Aphrodite kids. I have to be at least a little overprotective when it comes to him.

"Okay guys, who here can swim?" Many raised their hands, including me. It would have been ironic if the son of Poseidon's girlfriend is totally terrified of the water. Truth is, before I met Percy, I didn't want anything to do with that specific element. I guess time and experience changed me. "And who here has absolutely no idea what we're going to do today?" The three who didn't raise their hands stood on a separate line, away from the others.

We shared looks before coming to a silent agreement. "Annabeth's going to supervise the ones with experience while I'll try my best not to let the others drown." Some chuckled, others looked grim. As if Percy's going to let anything happen to them. The heroism's in his blood.

I moved to the opposite side of the pool, giving pointers and timing my classmates. Every once in a while, I would look up to see him cheering or demonstrating or just being his goofy yet charming self. I barely noticed Mindy coming behind me but I was glad that I didn't shriek like a chimpanzee this time. Yeah, that's my reaction every time I get surprised. Only a few know this about me for I always plan things ahead, therefore, I never get surprised.

Once my stomach was back where it was supposed to be, I turned to my best mortal friend. She rolled her eyes once she saw my glare. "What do you want, Mindy?" I sighed, uncrossing my arms. It was annoying how I can never seem to get mad at her for so long.

She giggled, grabbing my arm and pulling me to the corner. Okay, she's going to start interrogating me again. Somehow, I got used to it. "You didn't tell me that he can swim so fast. That was inhuman, Annie-"

"Don't call me Annie!" I huffed. Until now I still don't like that nickname.

My so-called friend ignored my outburst. "And Mike was _so _pissed because he thought that he was the best swimmer of the state but apparently he was wrong. How come he's still not in the Olympics? I'm sure he'll win for sure!" This was all said in one breath that only people with a special talent could understand her. Being friends with Piper gave me that talent. When you give her a topic to talk about, her inner Aphrodite just bursts and she won't stop until Jason tells her to.

I looked at Percy again just to see him talking to coach about something. His eyes told me that it wasn't anything serious. "First of all, I he doesn't want to be in the Olympics because he thinks that the fame will only take me away from him." I was interrupted with a loud coo. I continued, "And Mike has to know that Percy was holding back a while ago. I guess he was worried that he will ruin another's self esteem or something."

"Aww! He's so thoughtful!" she exclaimed. She has always been the girly one in our little trio. "Oh, Annabeth. I'm so jealous of you. How come you have a boyfriend like him and I don't?"

"I'm just lucky, I guess." Yeah, I really was lucky.

Once I was left alone, I immediately went over to his side of the pool to find him having a heated argument with one of the popular jocks named Kyle. Other than Mike, he was the one who never stops asking me out. But he was a jerk seeing that he broke so many hearts and he wants to break mine as well.

The water churned, agitated by its master's actions. Small waves started forming, one girl screamed. They all started coming up at once, running around and completely ignoring the rules. Coach Mac did everything to shut everyone up but it was the hardest thing to do seeing that the ground started shaking.

Percy's hands were in fists. And all of the muscles in his body were tense. I couldn't bear look at his eyes because I wasn't at all prepared to see what was there. He hasn't been this angry in so long. What provoked him? Maybe something that Kyle said?

"My Annabeth is not a slut nor will she ever be." He hissed to the other man, "If you say or _think _about her that way again or anyway at all, I will hunt you down and _kill you."_

For the first time in the history of my school, the quarterback was about to pee his pants. I was just glad that he realized his mistake before anything serious could have happened. I was just glad that Mike had the decency to not mention anything about what he's planning to do to me when we're together. I shivered at the thought, thoroughly disgusted. The only person with the privilege of touching me like that is Percy Jackson.

Everyone piled up at the locker and shower rooms. But we stayed behind since I was a little impatient when it comes to waiting for my turn. Plus, this was the perfect time to talk to him about what happened.

"He has absolutely no respect for you, Wise Girl." He said, exasperated. "And he said that he didn't care that you're with me because he always gets what he wants and now that he wants you, he's not going to stop till he gets you. Then there's still Mike to worry about. I know I've said this like a million times already but I can't lose you, baby."

"Just don't stop fighting for me." I told him, "You're stronger than you think you are, Seaweed Brain, and you don't have to worry about anything. Percy Jackson, you are absolutely _perfect _and if you don't believe me, you should ask all the other girls who want you. We literally went through hell together and we fought the most powerful beings existing together. We almost died together. And I'm planning that we grow old together."

_Wait, did I just say the last one? I hope he didn't hear… Nope, he's smiling like a maniac. Of course he heard. _I thought to myself, feeling more stupid than I ever have in my entire life. It's official. Percy's rubbing off on me.

He looked hopeful, though, and I didn't have the heart to take back what I said. What's the use? I do mean it. And he might take it the wrong way if I do. Screw embarrassment. I'm here with the man I love and, for once, the world isn't ending. "Maybe in the future, we could get married and have children…" I trailed off, sighing happily at the thought.

We weren't the kind of people who would talk about what's to happen to openly. Being a demigod, it was hard to predict if I'm even going to reach my thirtieth birthday. But it was nice to imagine because there's always a possibility for it to happen.

His lips moved to my ear, lacing his fingers with mine.

He said two words. Two words that shocked me beyond belief. Two words that made me laugh and cry and hug him at the same time. Two words that made my heart do somersaults and back flips and every other gymnastic routine possible. Just two words.

"Marry me."

**HA! Cliffy!**

**Thanks to sportschic5646 for the idea. Plus, I always thought that Percy's the kind of guy who proposes to the girl he loves so spontaneously. Tell me what you think! Revieww!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello people of Earth and other planets. I am sincerely grateful for your support so I am giving you this chapter. For all those Percabeth fans out there!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own PJO**

Annabeth:

My heart nearly stopped. Did he just say that or was I imagining things? Don't get me wrong, I was absolutely ecstatic and everything but there are so many things to consider, so many things to worry about.

"Percy," I said, looking at him in the eye. All the love present there made me tear up. "We're so young. There's still the rest of high school and then college…"

But he shook his head, "I know that but I don't know how long we're going to live and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I love you so much. Maybe this wasn't the proposal you wanted but I could make it better. I could do whatever you want. Just please…"

Looking at him again, I noticed how true those words are. Not only for his part but for mine as well. I can't imagine my future with anyone else but him. He's home to me now. "What about our parents? What are they going to do when they found out?"

"We're going to get through that together. Don't think about that now. Think about us."

I bit my bottom lip and squeezed his hand. With a deep breath, our gazes met once again and then I relaxed. "Yes." I finally answered, "I'll marry you."

A wide smile made its way to his face as he pulled me into a bone crushing hug, muttering loving words to my ear and being all sweet and romantic again. There are definitely a lot of sides to Percy but this one just has to be one of my favorites. I pulled away from him, making sure that we are arm's length apart so that I could examine every single feature of him properly. His fingers wiped the tears I didn't know I shed.

"You're not just saying that, are you? Because I don't want to push you into anything and if you don't think that this is a good idea…" He suddenly looked worried even through the slight blush present on his cheeks. Gods, he's adorable.

My hands grabbed his cheeks and, pulling him so close to me that I could already see the slight flecks of hazel in his sea green eyes. Those beautiful, beautiful eyes. Even after six years of seeing them, I'm still not used to the color. And then I pulled him to the most passionate kiss I have ever given him.

"I agreed to this because I _want _to be with you. More than anything else in my life." He nodded, noticing that many people were already surrounding us. Knowing Percy, I'm sure that he didn't want anyone to know about his proposal but those who are closest to us. Speaking of which, I have to call Thalia and Piper ahead of time to warn them of what's about to come.

Yeah, I have to warn the guys as well. I tend to scream a lot when I'm excited and I didn't want any of my friends to grow deaf.

No one reacted differently so I assumed that they didn't understand at all what was happening. Sure, they noticed how I clung to my boyf- fiancé. I should seriously get used to calling him that. We weren't really officially engaged yet, since he didn't present me a ring or anything but I guess he's working on that now. See, having the god of the seas as your father can have its perks, especially when it comes to finding rare and precious gems that can only be found on the deepest part of the ocean.

Okay, I'm getting sidetracked again. Curse the ADHD.

After school, I ran to the Aston Martin with the man I love trying to keep up. He was tripping over his own feet but managed to stay upright, thank goodness. It would be rather embarrassing if he falls and I fall on top of him in front of my school. Yeah, it's bad enough that we show PDA. I don't want them to start rumors about something else entirely. Knowing them, they might think I'm pregnant or something.

"Come on Percy!" I encouraged, smiling brightly. "We have to tell the others!"

His arms made their way around my waist from behind, pulling me closer to him. "Just let me process this for a moment, Wise Girl." He breathed to my neck, giving me goosebumps. "You're going to be my wife! I finally have you all to myself."

"Shh," I scolded, turning around to face him. "Don't scream it to the entire world. Not yet. We have to let them find out by themselves, alright."

He frowned slightly but agreed, "Fine, fine." Percy placed a soft kiss on my cheek, his lips lingering to my ear. "You are the smart one, Mrs. Jackson."

Mmm, that sounds really nice. I didn't even care that it made me feel slightly older than I really am. Better get used to it now that my friends, especially the Stolls and Leo, will tease me nonstop about it. Not that I cared. They can mock me all they want but I will never be ashamed of what Perseus Jackson has given me.

I swear on the River Styx.

I slammed the apartment door open, surprising everyone inside. Piper even pulled out Katoptris just in case. When they saw that it was only me and my future husband, they relaxed completely.

Thalia ran over, demanding why I sent her an urgent text. The daughter of Aphrodite as well looks rather confused. I laughed, "I'm going to tell them, okay. I suggest you tell the guys too because they might get angry if they hear it from other people." I whispered to Percy, pressing my lips against his cheekbone and skipping over to my room with the girls following shortly after.

"What happened, Annabeth?" My best friend asked, sitting on the bed and resting her head on her hand. I don't get why they're so tired. They didn't even have classes today.

I looked at them, tears on my eyes. Why am I getting so emotional about this? "Percy asked me to marry him."

Piper jumped up in surprise, grabbing both of my shoulders. "What? Did I just hear you right?"

With my lips pulled over my teeth, I nodded. And we both started jumping up and down with absolute joy. Thalia, though, looked as if she just saw her only bet dog get hit by a truck. "What's wrong, Thals? Aren't you happy for her?"

"It's not that I'm not. It's just that it's too much to take in. Have you considered that you're only 18? And your mom still hates his guts? Anna, it's too soon." I sighed, taking her hand. I know she was just trying to protect me.

"I did think of that but… maybe this will solve everything. And, Thals, we're demigods. There's a possibility that we won't even last that long and I just want to spend every waking moment with him. I can't live without him, you know that."

A small smile formed on her mouth and she pulled me and Piper to a group hug. "You can take care of yourself now, Annabeth. You're not that adorable seven year old Luke and I found." She didn't even flinch at the mention of his name. Maybe she was finally recovering from him. I'm glad.

"How did he propose? You have to tell me _everything._" Piper squealed like her sister. And the Aphrodite side is released after so many weeks of being caged. I smirked.

I found my way to my desk chair, "Well, it was after he taught swimming and we were just talking. He almost exposed us again but this time is so much worse because he actually used his powers." Thalia's eyes widened but she said nothing, letting me continue. It was very unlike her. I continued, then. "So we talked about it and then it shifted to our future until he just popped the question. Sure it wasn't romantic but I couldn't have it any other way."

"And to think that you hated his guts when you first saw him." McLean commented, chuckling.

My eyebrows furrowed in frustration. Why did everyone think I hated him? "I didn't! I just wasn't fond of him because I thought he was an idiot."

"He still is, btw." Jason's sister mused.

I rolled my eyes, "Yes but he's my idiot now."

Mike**:**

I suspected something the moment I saw her crying.

Something must have happened between them, something seriously special. And they hugged and kissed and did everything they could to be as close together as possible.

My heart broke to pieces when I saw how much they loved each other. Everyone could see it but they refused to believe that such a thing existed in this world. We were used to seeing couples lie and cheat and fight and destroy their own relationships but they're not like that. They argue, of course, but it was only because they care about each other so much that they correct as much of the flaws as possible.

The sight was disheartening. No matter how much I tried to get her attention, she always has her eyes on him. But I will never accept the fact that she will never be mine. Someday, they will break up and I will be the one who she's going to cry on. I'm going to make sure of that.

**Please review!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Pure Percabeth. No school in this chapter so there is absolutely no mention of Mike whatsoever.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the plot and OC's**

Annabeth:

I woke up feeling absolutely ecstatic. _Today's going to be great! _I thought to myself, shaking my head slightly at my optimism. It is better for people like me to always think positive even in the worst of situations.

Turning to the direction of the alarm clock, I sat up and stretched. It was only six and Percy doesn't stir until it was seven thirty. Yes, it was the weekend- a Saturday, to be exact- and he promised that he's going to take me somewhere to celebrate our engagement. I sighed dreamily, staring at my still empty ring finger. He hasn't given me one yet so my fears were added because I might not even get one at all.

He looked exhausted. The moment he and the others finally went back to school two days ago, they had pop quizzes on almost every subject. Maybe the teachers expected them to open their notes at least once during their three day vacation. I don't really expect that to happen, especially in this apartment.

Percy Jackson needs his rest. He deserves it.

With a loud yawn, I stood up stretching my arms above my head. Thankfully, I did all my homework the day before so I don't have to worry about anything. I noticed two bags packed at the end of the bed, one of them I recognized strangely as my favorite backpack.

"What's that doing there?" I asked myself, striding over to where it was sitting patiently. My hands made their way to open it only to be stopped by an audible, "No!"

I jumped, looking over to where I heard the voice. He was sitting up, his voice a little groggy from sleep but his eyes were urgent. "Are you keeping something from me, Seaweed Brain?" I questioned, suspicious. Why does he have bags packed? Is he leaving me? I started to tear up at the thought. Did he just propose to me because of the heat of the moment? Did he mean it? Did he find someone better?

"Wise Girl, before you jump into conclusions." He replied urgently, noticing that I was about to cry. "What's inside that bag is a surprise and you're going to see it later. Please don't cry." I crawled into his arms, relaxing completely into them. I was so stupid to think that he will ever leave me for someone else.

Once I could speak properly again, I took his face in my hands. "Where are we going?" He knows how much I hate surprises.

"Well, since the place isn't the surprise, might as well tell you." I kissed him softly, smiling idiotically. "We're staying in Montauk for the weekend. Paul and mom made plans already. But they don't know about my proposal because we're not technically official yet until I present you with a ring." He bit his bottom lip, "Well, that ruined the surprise."

My eyes widened in realization. We're going to his childhood beach, the place where his mother and Poseidon met and he's going to properly propose to me there. Oh, that's so romantic! And I didn't even scold myself for acting like an Aphrodite girl. This was an exception. "Where's the ring?" I started bouncing up and down in excitement.

He laughed. "I spoiled one surprise already. I'm not going to make that mistake again."

I let out a pout but quickly controlled myself. "When are we leaving?"

"In an hour, after we eat." He explained, gesturing me to the bathroom. I rolled my eyes but followed where his hand was pointing to and locking the door behind me.

They haven't even left their rooms yet when we ate the pancakes Percy prepared. I was actually pretty sure that the smell of food would get them up but it just so happened that my friends just had to be heavy sleepers. "Don't worry about it, Annabeth. I left them a note."

"You really did think of everything, didn't you?" It was rather amazing, actually. And I'm proud that he finally considers the future.

Percy posted the note on the refrigerator, grabbing both of the backpacks and taking my hand in the process. We creaked outside of our apartment, making sure that the door was secure before sprinting down the staircase until we reached the underground parking lot. My heart was thudding hard against my chest. I really want to know how my engagement ring will look like. He didn't even give me the slightest clue and it was getting me very frustrated.

He opened the door to the Jeep, waving goodbye to his precious Aston Martin. It was very rare for him not to use his dad's gift but I guess it was only wise because it might get scratched or dented during the trip. "You alright, Anna? You look like you're about to explode."

I slapped him in the arm but managed a giggle, something I haven't done in a very long time. "Shut up, Seaweed Brain. Don't get too cocky now."

After the very long drive, we eventually reached the small cabin by nine. The traffic was horrible, really, and I was just glad that we didn't have to deal with that once we reached the road to the beach. There was a feeling in my gut that stated how Hermes could have done something about this. He isn't called the god of travel for nothing, you know.

He only brought me to Montauk once before, a trip that included all of our demigod friends after Gaea's defeat. It was a week of pure celebration and happiness. There were even times where some of the gods came to congratulate and thank us.

Once we stopped, he jumped out of the car and headed over to my side. I blushed slightly when I saw him opening the door for me. I know I should be used to this, since he's done it so many times before but…. He led me to the backdoor of our temporary home, taking both our bags once again.

It hasn't really changed much after one year of not seeing it. The familiar sea scent still comforted me and the sand between the floorboards was still very much visible. I couldn't have it any other way.

Percy didn't bother asking if it was okay for us to stay in the same bed. He was aware of my never ending chain of nightmares and he was the only one who can calm me down after that. I remember how I acted in camp. Every night, I'd try to sleep where I'm supposed to but I always end up making my way to where I had to be. And he always waits for me.

"What do you have planned for today, Mr. Jackson?" I teased, feigning formality.

With my hand trapped in his, he knelt in front of me. My breath caught in my throat, thinking that this must be the time where he's going to properly ask me to be his wife. "Not yet," he whispered, as if reading my thoughts. "It's not the right time."

I'm guessing that my disappointment clearly showed in my features because he suddenly stood up and carried me outside. "Where are you taking me, Percy?"

"We are going swimming, Wise Girl." I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. Swimming? I'm not dressed for swimming. What the hell was he thinking? I'm not going to the ocean like this!

He sensed the tension in my muscles but didn't stop. "Put me down!" I demanded, "Let me change first, please."

"There's a reason why I didn't let you change." He said, closing in on the waves until they were lapping at his feet. "And this is it."

Before I could properly react, he threw me to the water far enough that I sunk for a good five seconds. Once I regained my balance, I crossed my arms. "Perseus!" I screeched. He was laughing at me, as expected. I was about to stomp over there and give him a piece of my mind when I noticed how handsome he is at this state. His sea green eyes were bright with mirth and a beautiful grin on his lips.

He willed himself to get wet as he waded to my direction, taking me in his arms. "I love you," He mumbled.

"Love you, too." I muttered, thoroughly satisfied.

Three hours passed and the sun was at its peak. Afraid that I might get sunburned, I pulled Percy out of his element and towards the cabin. He was complaining of course, saying that there was no need for the precautions. I wouldn't take any chances, though. Plus, it was lunchtime already and I bet he's very hungry by now.

The moment I finished dressing up after a nice hot bath, I went to the kitchen to prepare our lunch. And Percy was on the sofa, watching the game he and his cousins were talking about for a while now. I guess he sacrificed a lot because he loved betting against Jason and Nico and Leo on who will win. "You alright there, Seaweed Brain?" I found myself asking.

"Yeah, of course." His velvety voice still made my knees week. That's a new record for me. "Why'd you ask?"

"I don't know. I just feel like you want to be there more than you want to be here. I completely understand that, of course. You can't really separate men and their sports but…" I was silenced with a kiss, as cheesy as that sounds. I didn't hear him come over here and I was immediately embarrassed by the small squeal that left my mouth.

"I want to be here with you, Annabeth. I don't care about the guys right now. I will stop everything just for you." I placed the knife I was holding on the chopping board just in case. I didn't want to kill my future husband accidentally. Plus, if ever I do get the chance to do that, I didn't need a knife. My dagger has been quite handy for the past few years.

My only response was a slight nod, letting his lips travel around my face and then down to my neck. With a small sigh, I felt him rest his chin on my shoulder. "That smells really good." I heard him say, tightening his grip around my waist.

"Well, this is mine." I teased, not bothering to face him. I know that he was pouting right now. "Since you aren't _that _hungry. If it wasn't for me, you would still be controlling the ocean."

A smirk formed on my lips when I heard him whine. "Oh, come on, Wise Girl. You can't seriously think that I'll just watch you while you eat. It's evil, plain evil." And then his voice tuned down until it was in a whisper, "If this is how you're going to treat me once we're married, I think I'm going to back down."

"Oh please," It was rather amusing how he tries to scare me like that. Yeah right, like he's going to take back that decision. "We both know that you're not capable of doing such a thing."

"Hmm, maybe you're right." But I could still hear that he was a little disappointed.

Deciding that it was about time that he gets his ego boosted, I rested my head on his chest. "I was just kidding, Seaweed Brain. You can be such an idiot sometimes." I kissed him for a moment, trying to get used to the fact that this man will be with me forever. "I can't finish this myself, you know."

He raised an eyebrow at me, "Oh, is Ms. Annabeth Chase making _me, _Percy Jackson, lunch?" He pretended to be surprise, causing me to giggle slightly. His eyes were filled with obvious pride.

"Don't make such a big deal out of it." I huffed, trying very hard not to hide the happiness that I was feeling right now. "Now let me continue with what I'm doing so we can eat."

Percy frowned slightly, "Do I have to leave?" he asked, worried.

"Don't you ever leave me, Perseus," Was my answer. He understood.

**Thanks for the support people. It means a lot. Hope you like this one. And if you have any questions, you can always ask me. Please review!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Yay! It's the proposal! Pure Percabeth fluff. Slight OOC for the gods.**

I was sitting on his lap, fingers playing with his hair, and my lips mere inches from his own. This was a position I've grown used to over the years and Percy never gave a sign that he didn't like it.

It was well after five now and we were watching a chick flick because I insisted on it. We barely paid attention to it now. I guess that wasn't new either. Ever since I grew this strange addiction to the romances- probably from Silena since Piper's not that into it, I've learned that instead of watching the actual movie, it was better to use it as background music. Plus, it was so much better to live my own tragic love story than see another one.

"I'm hungry." He told me, pulling away from our heated kiss and resting his forehead against my neck.

Feeling a little lightheaded, I sighed. "You're always hungry, Seaweed Brain."

I'm not in the mood to stand up, especially since I was oh-so comfortable. There was absolutely no way that I'm going to stand up. No matter how adorable he looked like right now. After a good while, he gave in. "Fine, I'll go do it myself." He placed me on the worn down couch, causing me to pout. Curse his usually empty stomach.

Now that nothing was keeping me from leaving this chair, I found myself heading over to the bathroom. There was this nagging feeling in my gut that practically screamed for me to bathe. Maybe it was instinct?

I heard the door open and then close.

Percy:

My heart started beating incredibly fast. Aphrodite probably did her magic already, forcing her to stay in a single room long enough for me to prepare everything. Yes, I know I have to rush. There was absolutely no room for flaws right now. She deserves only perfection and I'm going to do what I can to give her that.

After a few deep breaths, I went outside holding a blanket. The entire "I'm hungry" thing was just an act to get her to leave. Yes, I know exactly what she's going to answer. Sometimes, knowing her more than I know myself can be a perk.

Someone cleared her throat. "Perseus, may I speak with you."

To say that I was surprised would be an understatement. I will know that voice anywhere. "Lady Athena." I croaked, turning around to face the goddess. It was very disrespectful if I don't. I bowed, wanting to get as close to her good side as possible. After all, I'm going to marry her favorite daughter and she's going to make my life a living hell if I don't make amends.

"Stand." She ordered. I scrambled to my feet, blushing in embarrassment. "Now, Jackson, I know of your plans and I'm not going to try to go against them. Now, there are some conditions for me to approve of this and you have to fulfill all of them."

I gulped visibly, looking at my future mother-in-law. "Of course." Even though I was shaking, my answer was confident. I will always be sure of what I do when it comes to her. "Anything, m'lady."

"First of all, you have to swear to me that you're never going to hurt her. If you do, you will be thrown into Tartarus once again. Is that clear?"

Confusion was etched in my features. She doesn't have to remind me of that. "I would never do that. I love Annabeth more than anything and I will never forgive myself."

She nodded, accepting my answer. For once, she's actually quite satisfied. But I didn't let that get to my ego. "Second, you will have to wait until after you can properly support yourselves to have children."

I bet everything I have that I'm as red as a tomato. I guess it was understandable for her to request that. She _is_, after all, Annabeth's mother. She just doesn't want her or any of our kids to have the kind of lifestyle I suffered before mom married Paul. I didn't bother say anything, knowing that my voice will fail me. I gave a simple nod as a response.

"And third," A small smile was forming on her lips. "Your first born will be offered to me. I will be the one she sees first so that I could give her my blessing."

My eyes bulged out of their sockets. "I guess that will be alright. Annabeth won't be against that." I drifted off, shifting uncomfortably on my feet. "Is that all, Lady Athena?"

"Yes, that is all. I expect you to take care of her, Percy Jackson. She will have the life she deserves and no less than that. I will be watching you."

And at that note, she disappeared.

Once I recovered from my shock, I ran over to the picnic blanket only to find it set up perfectly. I picked up the note that came with it, scanning over the Greek letters and raising an eyebrow once I finished.

_Seeing that I took plenty of your time, I decided to repay that by fixing you this. Don't disappoint me. I expect a proposal that can rival all the others._

- _Athena._

From the inside, I heard the door open. Realizing that it must have been Annabeth, I immediately fixed myself to the point that not a single speck of dust was left in my clothes or skin. The ring was in my pocket, waiting to be given. I hope she's satisfied with this. Though she's not the one who prefers extravagance, she's also not the kind who is given something spontaneous. Everything has to be planned when it comes to her. That's the reason why I'm slightly more responsible than I was.

I saw her and I swear my heart stopped beating.

Annabeth:

I found my clothes on the bed with a letter from Aphrodite saying that I should wear it.

Then I finally realized it. The gods will only help when something big is going to happen, like Percy's proposal perhaps. He's planning to do it tonight and I couldn't help but jump for joy even when I'm still in my towel.

Now that I'm looking forward to something, I quickly grabbed whatever it is on the mattress and put it on, running barefoot to the beach where I know he was. I should have expected this any time this weekend but, with my fiancé there to distract me, I keep on forgetting the real reason why we're here in the first place.

He was looking at me weirdly when I saw him. His mouth parted in a slight "O" and his gaze drifting over my body. I barely acknowledged whatever a certain goddess wanted me to wear so I was pretty surprised myself when I saw it.

It was a simple white dress, soft to the touch and long enough that it reached my ankles. My hair was in perfect curls, something I never realized because I didn't bother fix it. I seemed to be glowing under the moonlight, probably because of the happiness I was feeling. And every time I moved the cloth flowed around me like it will when I'm in water.

"Annabeth, there are absolutely no words to describe you right now." He walked over to me, graceful yet obviously nervous. "Care for a walk?" His hand was extended in that gentlemanly fashion.

I nodded, lacing his fingers with mine and letting him lead me around the beach. We talked nonsense, keeping each other close and watching the sunset.

Once the house was back in sight, he directed me to the picnic blanket on the ground. The food looked absolutely delicious and I was more than happy to eat it. "Your mom paid me a visit a few minutes ago." I choked on the pasta, staring at him. He didn't look bothered. "She made me promise some things and then helped me fix this up. I think she's starting to get used to having me around."

Thunder boomed through the heavens and I shook my head. "Starting to, but not yet."

"Yeah, not yet."

Our plates were cleared but we didn't bother go back inside. The starts were bright and I had a feeling that it was reserved for us and only us. "I guess it's about time for me to properly propose, don't you think." He was smiling brightly, sitting up and pulling me with him.

"Yeah, I think it is." I giggled, folding my legs underneath me.

Percy tucked the stray strands of hair behind my ear. He took my hand and kissed my knuckles. "Wise Girl," he started, looking at me straight in the eyes. "You and I have known each for six years already and I don't know how it's possible but I love you more and more every day. We went through Tartarus together and we both know that if it wasn't for each other, we would have died. I don't know how I could have lived my life before I met you and we've been best friends for so long. I know more about you than I know myself and there should be a reason why you were my only memory when Hera took everything else away."

My tears were flowing like waterfalls now. His words were so sincere and I had absolutely no doubt that he meant all of them. He grabbed a box from his pocket, handing it over to me and giving me the most beautiful smile. His lips met my forehead and kissed it softly.

Trying to control my breathing, I opened the gray lid and, if it was possible, I cried even more.

It was more beautiful than I imagined, with the platinum band, the large diamond, and a few surrounding emeralds. And around those emeralds were gemstones I recognized easily as aquamarines. But no, there was an engraving inside. In perfect Greek, there read "To Wise Girl, from your Seaweed Brain. Forever."

"Oh gods," I whimpered. "Percy, it's perfect."

"Annabeth Chase, I will do everything I can to protect you. I will give my life for you. I will love you even after my final breath. Will you do me the honor of being my wife?"

I gave him a teary smile, "Yes."

**That was pretty emotional. I hope you like it guys. Tell me what you think. **


	10. Chapter 10

**Okay, I guess I'm going to break my promise to myself about making this only 10 chapters. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? I think I'll end this when I can, hopefully before it reaches 20 chapters because there's still Forever a Family to worry about.**

**Anyways, I apologize for the extremely late update and I hope you don't hate me for it.**

**Thanks for all of the reviews guys! It meant a lot.**

**Oh yeah, the questions.**

**Favorite food: ****_Practically everything. _**

**Do you support other pjo couples? If so which one? ****_Yeah, of course. I ship Jasper, Thalico (even though it isn't that realistic), Tratie (they're just adorable), Leyna (awww!), and Frazel._**

**Would you like to have cookies and milk with me?!****_ Yeah sure. But the cookies have to be really good. Hehe.:)_**

**I wish the wait was worth it.**

* * *

Mike:

Annabeth was different when I saw her again that Monday morning. Her eyes weren't as serious and bored anymore, which was good for my part. Her smile never faded, even when she talked to those girls who hated her so much. It was rather unusual seeing her like this, all happy and carefree. She usually isn't, except when she's with Percy.

I approached them quickly, trying not to trip over myself. Life is hard for me as it is. I don't want it to be worse by falling face first in front of the girl I care about the most. Then again, she did see me at my worst which was after her dear boyfriend beat me up. Thank goodness I was recovering from that already.

Something was glittering on her finger.

My eyebrows furrowed in confusion, trying hard to push down all the grief and doubt that was boiling up inside me. It can't be… is it? No, that's impossible. Annabeth's much too smart to accept a proposal at this age. They were eighteen! They barely have jobs. And now they're planning to start families?

"Oh, that's so romantic." I heard Mindy sigh, wiping fake tears from her eyes. "I can't believe he did that!"

Sam smirked. "I'm not really that surprised, 'Beth. Seriously, you guys are perfect for each other and I'm glad that he finally had the guts to act on it. The ring is gorgeous, by the way. It's obvious that he looked very hard for it."

I felt my heart thumping viciously against my ribs, processing every single word they said. But there's still a chance. What if they were talking about something else and not about what I think?

"You're so lucky. In a year, you're officially going to be called Mrs. Annabeth Jackson. A lot of girls would kill for something like that."

Yup, that statement made me lose it.

All the anger and sadness and pain that were building up inside me were finally released as I slammed Annabeth against the lockers. Mindy screamed in surprise while Sam just stared, speechless. "Why?" I demanded from her, pressing her shoulders to the cool metal.

She thrashed, trying to escape. My grip on her tightened. I needed an explanation. "Why did you do this to me? I loved you, Anna."

The blonde beauty shook her head frantically. "I didn't do anything to you, Mike. I told you that I belong with someone else and it's your fault for not believing it." She spat to me.

"You could have tried to be with me. We could have been happy together. I can take care of you. What does he have that I don't?"

Her eyes were stormy, filled up with so much negative emotion that it made me cower slightly in fear. "He has my heart, something you will _never _have."

She managed to escape my hold and immediately punched me hard on the jaw. Great, just when my bruises started fading from the beat up before, I get a new one. "No matter what you do, no matter how hard you try, I will never love you." Annabeth softened, seeing that I was about to cry. "You have to understand that, Mike. What you feel for me isn't what you think it is."

With the other two girls in tow, they walked away. Mindy kept on fussing about how dramatic the scene was while Sam was more focused on Annabeth's well being, both physically and emotionally. I know I went too far with that one. I should have been calmer so that I could get better results.

After checking if my jaw was broken- it wasn't, I headed straight for the classroom. Many were laughing at me because I got beaten up by a girl. I ignored them now, totally used to it. No one confronted me though, thank goodness. I could have lost all my composure and start sobbing if someone did. I don't want to lose what's left of my dignity.

Tears ran down my cheeks.

Annabeth:

Percy called me right after homeroom.

It was clear that he was worried, something I clearly expected. He must have seen what Mike did to me a while ago. From Piper's dagger, maybe? I'm not really sure. He even asked me if he could go here and, I quote, "teach that selfish bastard a lesson." I could have scolded him for the language but I knew that he just needed to take care of me. I need to get used to that now that I'm engaged to the most loyal demigod in the universe.

I'm engaged.

The thought still made my heart flutter uncontrollably in my chest. Sure, Percy and I belong to each other ever since we started dating- and even before that- but this will make it official. It even made me forget about how pissed off I was after the entire Mike incident.

My shoulders ached due to the very hard impact to the lockers. But I can endure, since I have been through _so _much worse. The ankle I injured when I was searching for my mother's statue suddenly tingled, and so did my arm when Ethan Nakamura stabbed me with a poisoned dagger. Though I'm pretty sure they would bruise badly really soon.

Mindy's reaction to the proposal made me want to laugh really hard. Anyone who passed by would think that she was the one who's going to be a wife soon. Sam was a little more composed, like she usually is. When I first met her, I actually thought that she was my half-sister since she thinks so much like me. It's sad she's just a mortal.

During English, my phone rang. The teacher stopped his discussion as he looked over to me, glaring fiercely. I couldn't care less, really. I've been the subject to much scarier looks than that. "Excuse me, sir, but I have to take this. It's an emergency." I told him once I saw that it was Percy who was calling me.

"Very well, Ms. Chase. But make it quick." He didn't even bother to argue with me knowing well that it was useless. Plus, he was well aware of my intelligence and commends me for it. I am capable of missing about five to ten minutes of his lesson.

With a small sigh of relief, I exited the classroom and walked briskly down the hallway, finding an appropriate place to hold a private conversation. My phone stopped ringing, which meant that it went on voicemail and I prayed to the gods that it wasn't an emergency.

Once I was safely inside the abandoned bathroom close to the art room, I locked the door and called him. He answered at the very first ring.

"Tell me exactly what happened." He demanded and I swear I could feel his agitation even through the call.

I rolled my eyes. I should have seen this coming. "Well hello to you, too, Seaweed Brain." I teased even though I know that it wasn't the best time to do that.

He breathed, trying to calm himself down. "Sorry about that, Wise Girl. I guess I just sorta lost it again. I'm just worried, you know, and your details were so vague that it made things worse. I know you have classes and this isn't the best time..." Percy trailed off, sadness and guilt evident in his tone.

"It isn't your fault." I reassured him, leaning against the tiled wall. "Is Thalia anywhere near you?"

"No. She's in another class so she doesn't know what's happening. Jason's here, though." He answered, calming down a little. I know that it won't last long, though. Once he hears the story, I'm sure he's going to ditch school once again just to go here and murder Mike.

I smiled slightly. "Yes, I guess that's fine. As long as he swears not to tell Thalia anything." After a few soft mutterings in the background, Percy assured me that he will follow my conditions.

"There's nothing much to say really. Mindy saw the ring so she just started asking questions and Sam joined the conversation soon after. I didn't see Mike coming," At the mention of his name, my fiancé growled angrily. "I guess he managed to piece everything together and well, he slammed me into my locker."

Thank goodness Jason was there with him. Though I was kinda hoping for Nico to be present as well. Restricting Percy is just as hard as taming the Minotaur. The son of Jupiter needs all the help he can get or else, I will see Mike's dead body in front of the school. I could already hear them arguing from wherever they are, sometimes shouting at each other. I sighed.

"I want you to come home. Right now." He told me after a good five minutes. "I'll tell mom to make some random excuse but I need to see you. Jason and Nico will pick you up."

I was about to say something in contradiction but I knew that my resistance was futile. Plus, I guess it was better for me and for everyone else to follow than to have him risk going here and dragging me back. "Alright." I agreed, "I'll be waiting by the tree."

"Annabeth, you know that I'm already doing this to protect you. I need to know that you're safe and I can't take it if someone hurts you and I'm not there to stop it. We're going to get married soon and I just want you to get used to this."

The frustration decreased until it was nonexistent and I smiled, even though I knew he wouldn't see it. "You're only doing what's best, Percy. And I might not like it but I love you and I trust you."

"I love you, too. So much."

And at that note, he hung up.

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**Hope you like it, guys! Review please.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Yay! Another update. Hope you like it, guys. You've been awesome! Thanks for the reviews and keep 'em coming.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own PJO and HoO**

Percy:

I grabbed Jason by the arm and dragged him to the art room, where Nico was currently messing his painting up to the point where it only looked like a big blob of red and green and black. I didn't even bother excuse him, seeing that it will only waste time.

"What? Percy, where are we going?" He asked once I got a firm hold on his shoulder. The teacher looked absolutely mortified as I pushed my emo cousin out of his door. Meh, I didn't like him anyways.

There were no explanations given the entire trip to the parking lot. Jason didn't bother ask for reasons, which was a good thing. I doubt he heard why he had to be ordered like a slave. I'm actually glad that they are well aware of my power when I'm pissed.

"Both of you go pick up Anna at her school. She's waiting by the tree." I looked at them fiercely, trying very hard not to channel my anger on the wrong people. "Bring her to the apartment and don't leave her until she's right in front of me. Understand?"

My two best friends nodded, Nico still looked quizzical. "What's this about, Perce?"

"I'll tell you later, or let Jason explain it to you." I clenched my hands into tight fists, keeping my breathing even.

The son of Jupiter sighed, "Alright, Percy. We trust you. Just don't do anything too radical, alright."

Before I could even formulate an answer, they drove off.

Annabeth:

I paced nervously on the moist green grass, watching as the rain clouds left the city of New York alone. It has been an entire five minutes and the boys weren't here yet. I wonder if something happened to them. Should I be worried?

A familiar vehicle pulled up at the driveway.

My two friends were waving me over and I didn't dare take my time. Percy can be very impatient, especially when it has something to do with me.

"Could someone please explain to me why your fiancé looked as if he was about to murder someone?" Nico groaned from the passenger's seat, directing the question mostly to me.

Good thing we were a good distance away from my school. I can properly explain to them what happened with the appropriate amount of details.

Jason's grip on the wheel turned vise-like while the other man demanded to head back and give Mike the worst beating in the history of the universe, well second worst beating. They treat me as if I'm their younger sister or something. It sometimes gets really annoying, seeing that I'm older than both of them, but I guess it's nice to have someone watch over you like a big brother does.

Not to mention Thalia and Piper. They can get vicious if they need to be.

"Did any of you happen to mention this to the girls?" I asked, wishing they hadn't. I did make Jason swear not to. It will only make problems worse if they didn't hear it from me.

The car stopped suddenly, screeching across the pavement. Thank goodness no one was around or else we're going to have a serious problem. "Crap." Nico cursed, fidgeting uncontrollably in his seats. As I said, my best friends can be vicious, much worse than an angry dracaena.

"Just keep going." I mumbled, "I'll explain everything to them later. We can't go back now. It will take too much time."

We arrived at the apartment building about ten minutes after. The Aston Martin was already parked where it should be and my heart started beating hard against my chest when I saw it. According to the officer by the entrance, Percy arrived two minutes early than we did, which was good. He didn't have to wait too long.

I ran up the staircase, ignoring the fact that we had a perfectly good elevator right beside it. Jason and Nico were trying to keep up with me but I was five steps ahead of them this time. "You should go back. You're missing a lot of your classes already and I don't want this to affect your grades." I advised, slightly guilty.

Both shook their heads, "Percy told us to not leave you until you're with him." Nico explained, taking two steps at a time.

"Plus, we can easily catch up with the lessons. School isn't as bad as Gaea." Jason answered, smirking.

Well that explains it.

Soon after, I was running through the hallway, sweat dripping from my forehead and soaking my shirt. Good thing I was close to the loft because I probably look disgusting. I'm glad that Percy thinks of me as beautiful especially when I'm like this.

With my so-called 'bodyguards' behind me, I grabbed the spare key from the top of the doorframe and unlocked the door. Leo was asleep on the couch, a bowl of chips and cans of coke on top of the coffee table.

Percy was channeling all his anger through training once again. Riptide was currently hacking off the heads of multiple dummies at once and plenty more straw figures lay lifeless on the ground. His cousins wished me good luck and bid me farewell.

The moment he heard my voice, he dropped his sword and pulled me into a huge bear hug. I didn't even care that his sweat and mine are mixing. I knew he just wanted to see me safe, even if I wasn't in any real trouble at all.

"You don't know how worried I was, Wise Girl. All I wanted to do was to kill the guy who hurt you and..." He took a shaky breath, taking my face in his hands. "I'm supposed to protect you, Annabeth."

I smiled, "I'm not hurt, Seaweed Brain. Trust me; I've been through much worse beatings than that. You didn't have to worry about anything."

"Yes, I know. But I still feel really guilty about it." And then his expression morphed from sadness to anger. "Mike seriously needs to get a life of his own. Not only does he want you to leave me but when he finds out that you and I'll be together for the rest of our demigod existence, he threatens you? Anna, I can't just let that pass."

My palm moved to his heart, "Don't. It's not right. He had no right to touch me, of course, but you can't just kill him. I'm _fine, _Percy. Can't we leave it there?"

His hands moved from my neck down to my shoulders and then to my back. It wasn't until his fingers started massaging my shoulder blades that I felt the pain. I gave a very visible wince and he stopped all of his ministrations at once.

"What's wrong?" he questioned, taking a step away from me. He must have been thinking that it was his fault that I felt pain. But it clearly wasn't that. Percy can give amazing massages and I'm sure this wasn't an exception.

I grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and made sure that we were even closer than we were before.

"It's not you." I told him, flashing a grin. "I must have hurt my back while I was training with Thalia yesterday."

He looked as if he didn't believe me, which was quite new to me actually. Maybe because I barely lied to him in the past and he already memorized each and every one of my facial expressions. "Take off your shirt." he suddenly said. Sure, he's seen me naked before but I've always been a little self-conscious whenever he would ask me to do this.

But I can clearly hear the difference in his tone.

It wasn't lust-filled or anything at all related to that. It was serious, focused. He must have noticed something that I hadn't.

Percy, being the complete gentleman that he is, didn't rush me as I pulled the garment over my head. Those sea green eyes weren't even focused on my breasts but on my shoulders. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion and worry. "What is it?" I asked, hoping he wasn't tired of me already.

"Turn around." He ordered, carefully brushing my hair away.

I closed my eyes, wishing that he'd stop being so stiff. This was the side of him that I hated the most, when his anger reached the boiling point and he wasn't the same anymore.

A loud crash made my eyes open suddenly and I found him shaking with rage, weapons scattered around his feet.

"I'm going to _kill _him." He seethed.

Percy:

I knew I lost all of my control once I saw the bruises on her back. Thalia wasn't the one to hurt Annabeth physically to the point where purple marks covered her body. And they looked newly acquired. This was the work of that bastard. I should have known he will have his revenge after I humiliated him in front of _my _Annabeth. I should have finished him off or made sure he was in a coma for five years.

The worst part was that she had no idea why I was acting like this. Her confusion would have been adorable but my brain couldn't process that anymore, not when the worst side of me wanted to drag a certain someone to Tartarus where he can't escape anymore.

"Perseus Jackson, I demand you tell me what is wrong or so help me...!" she stomped over to my direction, kicking away stray daggers and arrows and swords.

I placed her in front of the mirror, where she can easily see her reflection even from behind. My heart prevented me from hurting her with my grip. I couldn't do that and I will never do that.

Her mouth was open slightly as she examined the blotches on her spine, gasping in pain every once in a while when she presses too hard. I'm glad that I remembered to lock the door or else Leo might barge in and see what he's not supposed to see. "I honestly didn't know they were there." She whispered to herself but I heard it as if she said it out loud. Apparently, all of my senses go into hyper drive whenever I'm murderous. That's a good thing to know.

A hand covered mine and my eyes met with the most beautiful gray ones. And for the very first time, they didn't look as if she was having a million thoughts at once. All I could see was pure, unconditional love. It made me relax.

"Calm down, Percy." She cooed, burying her face on my neck. "We can talk to Mike together. Killing him will make things worse because you'll get arrested and you might not see me again for the rest of your life. We don't want that, now do we."

She's using that voice again, the one that is so much worse than Piper's charmspeak because I'm the only one truly affected by it. She only uses it when she's sure that nothing will ever cool me. I placed a kiss on her head out of pure instinct.

"I'll heal. These bruises will be gone in a few days and then we can act as if nothing happened. You're going to be my husband soon, Seaweed Brain. Until then, let me take care of myself. I made sure Mike got what he deserved after what he did so you don't have to worry. I love you, so much. So please, calm down.

I finally did.

**Please Review guys! Tell me what you think and correct me if there are things I misspelled or anything grammatical. **

**Oh and I just found out that Cory Monteith died yesterday. That's really sad because I can't ever imagine Glee without him... And I feel so bad for Lea. He was so young. He doesn't deserve this. RIP Cory. We love you!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey guys! So sorry for the late update but I'm so busy these days that I never find the time. Please forgive me. You know I try my best to update as soon as possible but...**

**Anyways, thanks for the support and I hope you like this chapter. Slight OOC and Mainly Percabeth. Hehe.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians.**

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It was clear that I had nightmares about that particular moment but I could never explain why. The incident wasn't particularly traumatizing, far from that really. It had nothing on Tartarus or the war with Gaea though it always made me wake up in cold sweat. The dream always ended the exact same way.

_Mike leaned and kissed me hard on the lips. I returned it._

Yes, I know I should feel guilty about it. I'm engaged to Perseus Jackson, the greatest hero of all time. Why do I have thoughts about him? Plus, I'm pretty sure that I don't have any feelings for him whatsoever. Maybe I'm being haunted because the gods wanted me to beat him to a pulp. I could almost imagine Ares screaming for me to kill him.

Percy knew about it. I told him the very first time I had it for I didn't like keeping anything from him especially when we're about to be called husband and wife. And it was frightening how he looked at me after that, with doubt and sadness and pain. I can't believe I'm saying this but I'd rather have the terrifying nightmares than the disgusting ones. My fiancé will never look at me the same way again and he never did. Once, I woke up in the middle of the night and he asked me what was wrong. When I told him what happened, he kept quiet, turned his back to me and closed the lights. I cried for a good three hours after that.

My fears started growing. What if he doesn't want to be with me anymore? What if he thinks I'm cheating on him? What if he found someone else? The thoughts were pathetic, I know, but I couldn't help but think that there's still that possibility- no matter how miniscule it is- that it will come true.

School wasn't a priority anymore. I have been absent for two days already just because of what happened. The news would have spread already and I couldn't stand people looking at me as if I'm a whore. Maybe…

Seaweed Brain grew more distant every day. He told Jason and Nico to pick me up from school in his place and most of his focus on either swimming or training. We still sleep in the same bed but he always joins me once I'm fast asleep and wake up before I do to make it seem like he didn't spend the night with me.

And it grew frustrating.

I just wanted to scream at him and hit him and demand why he was treating me like this. I had no control over what I see when I'm unconscious. I'm too stunned to try to stop it. I feel the kiss but I never felt the spark and I'm not planning on feeling the spark. That's only something Percy and I would share. Well, shared.

It was 11:30 am when the door opened to his bedroom. I refused to fall asleep because I knew I needed to see him and try to talk to him. The silent treatment was absolutely useless, especially with a child of Athena. It just wasn't an option for us because we feel as if we give up trying to argue. It's a sign of weakness. I didn't like showing weakness.

Accepting the silent treatment is so much worse.

He climbed in on his side of the bed, wrapping an arm around my waist but not pulling me close. I felt a small sob escape my parted lips, a small tear dripping to my pillow. "Why aren't you talking to me anymore?" I demanded from him, sitting up and turning on the lamp.

His face was emotionless under the dim light. I slapped him on the cheek, unable to control all the anger that was boiling up inside me. Percy didn't hit back nor did he say a word.

"Answer me, Perseus! Tell me why you're treating me as if I did something wrong because I'm pretty sure that I didn't." My tone oozed with malice.

Nothing.

I threw my hands up in frustration, pulling my hair from the roots. "Ugh! You're unbelievable. You know what, if this is going to be what marriage with you is, then I don't think I want to be your wife anymore." Did I just say that? Did I mean it?

He looked away, not letting me see the pain present in his eyes. My heart broke into two. He doesn't want to be with me anymore and he's not even telling me why. "So that's it then? I never thought we're ever going to break up over some stupid mortal. Well, I guess I can be wrong sometimes?" I bitterly laughed, standing up. "After everything we've been through…"

My fingers were already touching the cool metal of the doorknob when a hand grabbed my wrist. And the first thing I saw were those eyes, now filled with passionate emotion: I love you, don't go, I'm sorry. His voice was deep and broken, "I need you Annabeth."

"Tell me then, tell me why you didn't want to see me." I demanded, crossing my arms and forcing my tears to stay where they are and not fall. I'm trying to be strong.

He sighed and crashed onto the mattress, rubbing his face with his hands. "I was jealous, okay. I'm jealous because you dream of him and not me. I'm jealous because he's smarter than me and better than me. I'm jealous because I might lose you to him if I'm not careful. I'm jealous of him."

I stopped breathing entirely. He… he was jealous? Of Mike? No, that's not possible. I don't want anything to do with that egotistical creep. "That's where you're wrong, Seaweed Brain." I stood between his knees, tucking my hair behind my ears. "I told you once and I'm going to tell you again. You are perfect, Percy Jackson. Absolutely perfect so don't think of yourself as unworthy when that is clearly me."

Percy opened his mouth to speak but I cut him off, "Don't even try to argue because it's true. There's a reason why you and I fell into Tartarus together, why you and I fought Kronos and Gaea and Atlas together, why you and I go on each and every quest given together. You are my other half, the part of me that the gods took away because of the power we are capable of. Forget about Mike or Kyle because they have nothing on you. You understand me better than anyone else. I can tell you _everything _without worrying about being judged. You are perfect and don't you ever forget that."

"But… the dream…" He choked out, taking my hand in his.

I shook my head, "You're cute when you're worried." I smirked, "You're eyebrows get all scrunched together."

"I'm not worried!" he argued, smiling slightly. It vanished almost immediately.

My fingers traced his cheek, stroking the soft flesh slightly. "The dream means nothing. Aphrodite's testing us again and she just wants to know that we're strong enough to last forever. Plus, I've dreamt of you so many times before." I blushed slightly, seeing that I just confessed my feelings for him even when we were still 12. "It's true, Percy. Every night I prayed to the gods that you're safe and happy with your mom and then my dream afterwards will be about you. It lasted until now."

He breathed a sigh of relief, "I love you Annabeth. You know I always have. I guess I just didn't know before."

"You've always been so clueless. But I love every single part of you."

I don't remember what happened after that. All I know is that, when I woke up, my lips were bruised and there was a hickey on my collarbone. Pieces of clothing were everywhere (was that Percy's boxers on the tree?) and the love of my life was lying beside me, happily asleep.

Last night might have been a blur but I remembered all of the words that we said: his insecurities, fears, and doubts, my comfort, confessions, and praise. I am the only person in this entire world who has seen him as vulnerable as he was last night. He was so weak and hurt and sad that he didn't even cry, which meant that he was putting up a front once again. Too many people expect so much from him that he forgets that he's someone else other than the leader. He's my Percy and I know that I should always be there to tell him that.

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**Please Review! Tell me what you think!:)**


	13. Chapter 13

**Alright, it's my fault that I haven't been updating in a while but I blame the severe writer's block. And I've been so busy lately, which is my usual excuse, but it's true.**

**Thanks for the support guys! It really means a lot. Please tell me what you think about the chapters! Oh and I'm open to any questions you have of either me or my story so feel free to ask.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own PJO.**

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My relationship with Percy has never been stronger than it's been the last couple of months. Sure, we still argued (there was no stopping that) but always made up in the end. Mike was forgotten for I choose to not even catch a glimpse of him and I switched my schedule so that I have no classes with him anymore. The teachers noticed, of course, and they constantly ask me about it. They didn't understand the reason why I'm avoiding someone as "nice" as Mike- their words, not mine.

Apparently, they didn't know about what happened.

So, by the time the annual parent teacher conference came, I knew they had a lot of questions. And since my school and Goode High were somehow "connected" (I'm not even sure how that's possible), Percy's mom can't attend both mine and her son's. I just persuaded her to prioritize and go to Seaweed Brain because he needed it the most- don't tell him I said that. Plus, the rest of the gang is there and I can't just deprive them of it for my own selfish reasons. Please note the sarcasm.

I don't even understand why this has to happen. Surely we're old enough to not have any parental supervision anymore. I'm an adult. I'm capable of facing my superior and asking her what I need to improve on; getting that kind of information through another human being is completely unnecessary and an idiotic waste of time.

Sally was already in the living room when I woke up that very morning. She made herself and Piper (who apparently was awake already and reviewing her notes for gods know what) hot cups of coffee. The scent of caffeine wafted to my nose and excited my senses. I didn't waste any time before I ran to the kitchen just to fetch the addictive morning drink.

"Are you absolutely sure that you don't want us to go to yours, Annabeth?" The kind mother asked, moving so that I could sit beside her on the long sofa. Piper leaned against the recliner, sipping her drink and scanning through the textbook. "I'm sure we can still find time…" she trailed off.

I shook my head and smiled, "No, I'm fine. You have way too many important things to worry about and I don't want to disturb you. Plus, I think you're just going to be wasting all the time and effort you inserted on going there before it's too late. The teachers have nothing bad to say about me." I uttered confidently, crossing my arms over my chest.

The daughter of Aphrodite shook her head, amused. But she didn't say a word.

"Alright, if you're sure. Your father trusted me to take care of you so you can tell me anything you want, Annabeth." She took my hands in hers, flashing me the most motherly grin.

"I'm just a little tired after everything that's happening. I'm just glad that I don't have to worry about the wedding now that Aphrodite's doing all the planning." Both females chuckled at how I stated the words, leaving me very confused. I didn't question anything, knowing that it will only leave me more and more in the dark.

My bedroom door opened once again to a tall, extremely dark haired man wearing nothing more than jeans. Percy stretched his arms over his head and rubbed his eyes like he usually did, smiling brightly at the three of us. "Morning." He greeted, placing a kiss on his mother's cheek and one on my lips.

"You're up early." I commented, letting him sip from my coffee since both of us were too lazy to make another one.

He shrugged, grabbing his shirt (which just so happened to be hanging on the edge of the sofa) and placed it on. Well that was rather disappointing. I had the most perfect view and he just so happened to block it. Ugh, curse decency. "Why does the conference have to be on a weekend? Why can't it be after school or something?" My fiancé asked, yawning into his palm. "I'd prefer staying out late than waking up early."

"Of course you would," I rolled my eyes. Same old Percy. "That's just how it works, Seaweed Brain."

"You're just saying that because we're not going to find out what you did wrong in school. You don't have to suffer from embarrassment."

I feigned hurt, placing a hand to my chest. "Me? Wrong? How could you say that?" I gasped, trying and failing to hide my smile. Percy merely smirked and wrapped a protective arm around me. I didn't even dare question him about what he's protecting me from.

The conversation continued naturally and we talked about almost everything without feeling awkward. You can always trust Sally with everything, especially when she's the one who does her best to be a kind mother. I wonder what life would be if I haven't have met her. Maybe my image of motherhood would be bitter because I never really had a real one. What I would give to be in Percy's place, with a mom who loves you and a dad who does everything he can to see you.

The others managed to come out from their rooms in the middle of our deep discussion about college. Percy wanted to be as close to the ocean as possible so he decided to take Marine biology. I'm still going for architecture and Piper wanted to pursue cosmetology. I think it was the Aphrodite side of her talking. Sally never said anything against our choices and even commended us for wanting to do things that we can actually do.

We took our time getting ready, seeing that it was still quite early. We're not the kind of people to rush when we're late, well not anymore. I learned that from being with my friends for a really long time already, not to mention my dear fiancé here who's a pretty bad influence on me.

I smiled at the thought. _Well, maybe not._

We took Jeep to the school with Jason and Piper up front, Thalia, Nico and Sally at the back seat and Leo, Percy, and I in the seat after that. It was quite a good arrangement considering the fact that the couple in front of me was forced to stay quiet due to the fact that the mother was sitting in between them. And Leo decided to come with because he had nothing better to do at home and he wanted to find new blackmail material.

Parents were exiting their station wagons once we reach Goode High so plenty of fathers ogled our vehicle. I even had to laugh the reactions of the students once we came out ourselves, especially since not all of them are used to me and my friends. It's been a really long time since I went here.

"We should have taken my minivan." Sally mumbled, shaking her head. "It would've been more comfortable for me."

Percy laughed and wrapped an arm around his mother. "Don't worry about it, mom. We made quite an entrance." He gestured towards the people around us and the adult just shook her head slightly.

"Paul's waiting for us in the classroom." She urged, striding gracefully to the entrance. Ah, yes. You have got to love that about her. She looks so young and beautiful. I guess that's what caught Poseidon's eye.

Being the good friends that we are, we waited until Jason and Piper parked the car before we entered the school building. All eyes were on us, which was quite uncomfortable since I'm not used to that much attention. The others acted as if it was just an ordinary day. Maybe they've been experiencing this for a long time now, probably ever since they started studying here.

I soon realized that a lot of girls were staring at my future husband just because he made the mistake of wearing that thin white t-shirt he got for Christmas. His hoodie was hanging off his shoulders, thank goodness, but I know how much they could really see of him. My Percy has an amazing body. It wasn't his fault that the top he's wearing is tight around his muscles.

"When was the last time you've been here, Anna?" Piper asked, curious as she walks beside me. The boys were talking sports again so we couldn't relate to them as much. Sure, we're very athletic, but we're not _that _addicted. "Cuz I really don't remember."

I smiled at one of my closest friends, taking Percy's hand even when the guys have his attention. Well, not his full attention but most of it, anyways. "I think it was during your first day." I looked at the man beside me for confirmation and he gave a simple nod, flashing me my favorite crooked grin.

Thalia, being the impulsive one, immediately grabbed the baseball cap from her brother's head and ran away with it. Jason, seeing the challenge, chased after her. I smiled slightly once I saw my best friend acting like a real older sister. "Are they always like this?"

"Yeah. Everyone's used to it. I usually join in and Thalia and I would team up against Jason and Nico." My fiancé shook his head in amusement, "It's really nice seeing Thals like this. It's better than having to deal with her rage all the time."

Nico joined us soon after, watching his girlfriend running around with a cap on her head. "I agree. She's not alone anymore, not like she thought. At least she has someone to take care of again, even when Jason's more than capable of doing that himself."

We shared a single laugh before continuing our search for Sally. Percy's best guess was in the English room and I can't believe that he was actually right.

Mrs. Blofis was chatting with her husband when I saw her again. It was a professional talk, probably because they both know how to separate their relationships with their career. Right at the moment, they were talking about Nico and Thalia since they were both two levels below Percy. Apparently, Paul doesn't only teach freshmen but also the sophomores.

"Is there anything else they have to focus on?" Sally asked, sighing. Both of them blushed, probably because they realized that they were in deep trouble. "What else did they do?"

That was when the English teacher took ten whole minutes to discuss all of the mischief my friends are up to. My mouth dropped to the ground as I listened to some of them. "They did all that in the span of five months?"

"You and I both know what they're capable of, Sally." Was his only reply

She shook her head in disapproval, "Alright then. What about Jason and Piper? What have they been doing?"

"I've only heard things from other teacher since I don't teach them. But none of it was bad, well not as bad as what those two did." He gestured to the previous topic of the conversation. "I know that they both know better than to dig holes six feet deep filled with contents from a McDonald's happy meal where a certain vice principal could easily fall into."

Percy, Leo, and I burst out laughing at the new found discovery. "I can't believe you didn't tell me that!" My fiancé exclaimed in between his fits.

"Ugh, you guys are unbelievable." Thalia huffed, crossing her arms in frustration.

Once we calmed down enough, Sally turned back to Paul. If possible, she was more serious than she was before. "And how about my son?"

With a small sad smile, he turned to my Seaweed Brain. He looked tense, which was quite odd since that wasn't how he usually is. "He's been improving in my class but there are some cases in some other lessons where he blacks out."

I turned to him suddenly, filled with worry. Oh Percy.

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**Ugh, I know crappy ending but that's just where my brain stopped. Anyways, hopped you liked it!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey guys! Sorry for the super late updates and I'm not even going to bother with my excuses anymore. I am on my knees here begging for your forgiveness. Ahh!**

**Thanks for all the support guys! I truly appreciated it. Hopefully, you would enjoy this one and I promise I'll try to update more frequently.**

**Warning: Extreme Percabeth**

**Disclaimer: I don't own PJO. But I do own the books so I guess that's good enough.**

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Percy:

Everyone was looking at me in either concern or anger. The Grace's were pissed, of course, probably because they have absolutely no idea that this has been happening to me while Piper and Leo looked as if they wanted to help. I knew that they still felt guilty for not preventing the fall to Tartarus and it's annoying how they always look at me as if I'm gonna break all of the sudden.

Sometimes, I do.

That was my main problem in school, the kind that I don't want to share to anyone at all. Annabeth doesn't deserve to have that kind of burden, where she always has to look out for me when, in fact, it has to be the other way around. I just feel so vulnerable. That was supposed to be behind me. It has been two years since I suffered and I should have learned to move on. Why is that not happening?

"Why didn't you tell me?" My fiancé asked, looking impassive. Was she mad at me? Sad? Worried?

I frowned, "There's nothing to tell. It's not that important. Can't we just get over it?" I needed to convince them to let this topic go. The more they look for answers, the bigger the chance I'll black out again.

"No, we have to talk about this." Thalia insisted, annoyed beyond comprehension. But her features were softening. "Perce, this is you we're talking about. You and what happened in that hellhole. This is a big deal."

Paul leaned in closer to hear my explanation and my mother furrowed her eyebrows as she prepared herself for the inevitable concern she's going to feel. When my parents are looking at me like that, I doubt that I can refuse them now. I sighed and sat down on one of the chairs, rubbing my face with my hands. "There's nothing much to tell, really. The visions just come back frequently and I tend to focus on that more than I do with anything else around me."

"What triggers it? It couldn't just happen randomly. You should have seen something that makes your brain remember…" Piper shook her head in disbelief.

I tried to remember the commonality between the things I see before I black out. "I don't really know. But it started happening again after the incident with Mike when he found out about the proposal."

Jason rubbed his temples, completely and utterly stressed out. But he didn't say a word. I turned to Annabeth for her explanation but she looked a little bothered by the fact. Nico sat up straighter than usual, "Maybe when you saw Anna with all those bruises, it triggered your memory. So the sight of physical pain or injuries will only result to the black outs."

I raised an eyebrow at what he said, impressed. "That actually makes a lot of sense, Death Breath." Thalia confirmed, smirking slightly at her boyfriend's achievement. "My problem is that how can we stop this from happening again. What can we do?"

"We can't just keep Percy away from scars and those things. He's going to get exposed some time around."

Annabeth, who turned mute the past few minutes, finally said something. "I'll take care of that. I have a plan and please don't question me about it." She turned to me with pleading eyes and I trusted her with her judgment because she was called the smart one for a reason.

Knowing well that we couldn't argue with her, we just nodded.

After that, I didn't actually focus anymore. My ADHD took over me and I started noticing the very little things around me, the cracks on the walls, the cobwebs on the corners, and the nest on the tree right beside the window. They were still talking about me, obviously. My mom won't ever just let this go without a proper explanation. I mean, I love her and everything but can't she just leave me alone?

The day turned tedious and so did everyone else. Thalia's mood dropped considerably and the only emotion she was feeling was annoyance at the moment. Jason kept quiet and reserved, which was unusual for him because he's always the person who speaks his mind about everything. Nico was even more depressed than usual, which was saying something. Leo kept his mouth shut, keeping all of his witty comments to himself. Annabeth buried herself in her thoughts like she usually did. It was sad.

I finally cracked after exactly 2 hours of silence. I stopped dead on my tracks, taking the attention of everyone. My hands were in fists and my breathing turned ragged. I couldn't help but feel angry at how they were treating me. Nothing changed. I've been suffering for months and I still haven't broken down. "Tell me why you're acting like this."

"Acting like what?" Jason answered, confused. They don't see it but I clearly do.

I clutched my head at their indifference. "Oh please, you know what I'm talking about." I snapped at him, "Just because I started blacking out again doesn't mean anything has to change."

"Percy," Piper sighed, shaking her head as if I was acting foolish. Yeah right.

"Don't you 'Percy' me! You pity me, I get it. That's how you always feel and I've had enough of it!" Plenty of mortals stopped to look at the scene unfolding before them, curious and terrified at the same time. "I suffered through hell, I know that, but that doesn't mean I get special treatment or whatever you call it."

Thalia stomped over until she was standing in front of me and she slapped me hard on the cheek. "The world doesn't revolve around you, Perseus Jackson. You cannot control what we feel about anything. We don't pity you. We feel guilty because we didn't get to stop this from happening. So stop acting like a selfish bitch."

"I can't do this." I choked out, feeling the desperation creep up on me. I saw the purplish black marks on my skin, the bruises where my cousin's hand once was.

She dropped her grip and stepped back in horror as the world faded around me. I started reliving all of the pain I felt, the pain I saw the love of my life go through. Everything… everything. Oh gods. I felt my back slam against the lockers but that kind of physical pain was beyond me. I've suffered through worse. I am suffering through worse. I should have protected her. Mike was right. She shouldn't be having nightmares if I protected her enough. My side started hurting all of the sudden and I remember that specific stab the most. I thought I was going to lose her and leave her to go through Tartarus alone. I had to keep myself alive for her, I just had to.

Her voice got me out of my reverie. She had tears in her eyes and I just realized that I did too. "Percy, come on. You can fight this. Remember what you told me? We're together now and that's all that matters."

I nodded, letting her wipe away any sign of my crying. "I'm sorry." I whimpered, holding my Annabeth close to me. "I'm so sorry."

"You don't have to be," Was what she said. "You have nothing to feel sorry about. I would have been dead if it wasn't for you. Tartarus was bad, yes, but I couldn't think of any other person in the world who could have gone through it without losing their minds but you."

My mother was sobbing in Paul's arms when I saw her again. I know that I'll just be dead weight to them so I decided to just go back home. They disagreed with me at first but eventually thought better of it when they realize that there was no arguing with me right now. Annabeth decided to come, which I'm really glad for. I needed her company more than anything.

We took a cab from school to the apartment, keeping our silence along the way. It wasn't the kind of silence that I experienced in school. This was the kind of silence that you cherish because you couldn't pull this off with just anyone.

She led the way to our loft and unlocked the door because she was the one who had the keys at the moment. Once we could enter the apartment, we immediately headed for our room. It was our own personal sanctuary there, a place where I know we're alone. "How do you plan to stop this from happening again?"

Annabeth just turned to face me. Her hands were shaking as she unbuttoned her shirt and discarded it to the floor. "Wise Girl?" I started questioning her motives now. I wasn't in the mood for that now. She didn't stop undressing, fumbling with her black skirt now, soon being tossed to the clothes pile she made. I took her by the arm before she could further expose herself to me. Her grey eyes looked calm, which was a good sign. She knows what she's doing but I clearly don't get it at all. "Annabeth, stop this. What are you doing?"

"I want you to see." She whispered to me. Her bra then flew to the pile as well as her panties. I turned away, afraid to look at her and how horribly scarred she was because of me. "Percy, look at me."

It was a slow deliberate process, looking at her. You would have taken your time too if you knew what was in store. Annabeth wasn't the kind of girl who hides her battle scars under make-up or clothing. She wears them like a medal of honor. It was something she was proud of, but also something I was guilty for. Plenty of those marking would never have happened if I just prioritized her safety more.

I choked back the sobs I could feel coming out of my mouth. There she was in front of me, no clothes covering her beautiful body. But why couldn't I find the strength to move from my place? "Anna," I whispered, unable to find any other words but her name.

She walked confidently to my direction, placing a hand to my face. "I need you to face your fears. This is the best way I know how. I trust you with seeing me like this, Percy. I'm not afraid to cover up when I'm with you. I know it's hard for you to accept the scars but I'm not ashamed of them. You did the most amazing job protecting me and it was my fault for not doing the exact same job myself." Annabeth took my hand and placed it on her chest, right above her heart. "It's scary, I know. The way you feel now is how I feel when I see you swimming, with the used-to-be giant gash on your side."

"I just hate seeing you suffer, Wise Girl. Those marks are signs of me not being there. And it makes me feel so bad because I should have…"

She shook her head, "You still don't get it. I would have been in a much worse state if you weren't there with me, protecting me. I said that I didn't need you to keep me safe but I just didn't want to seem weak in front of so many people. You're my lifeline and I would be dead without you. Stop blaming yourself for all of this because it's behind us now. Tartarus is just a memory."

"A very bad memory." I mumbled, mostly to myself. She squeezed my hand once she heard what I said, smiling sadly at me.

"I lost count of the times that I have to tell you how this is not your fault. You've been blaming yourself so much and it's always about the same things." Annabeth's hand travelled to my arm, "I'm going to say this again and this will be the last time. You are perfect, Percy Jackson, and don't you ever question me about it."

It's true. She has said it so many times before but why can't I seem to let that fact sink in? Was it because I seem undeserving of being called such a word? Or that I am so very far from being so? Everyone in Camp knows better than to argue with Annabeth because she is always right. If she says that I'm perfect, then I'm perfect… or not. Not even the gods are perfect and I am half god. Maybe that's the only thing that she's wrong about. She trusts me too much, enough that I mess up almost all the time. I frowned as I sat on our bed, placing my head on my hands like I usually do when I needed to understand some things.

"You don't believe me, do you?" she sighed in disappointment, "I know what you're thinking, Perce. I can see it in your eyes. You think that you're not good enough to be called perfect. You think that nobody ever is and you think I'm wrong. Well, you should know that you are perfect through your imperfections. I love you, so much, and there is no other man in the entire world who has done a better job growing up than you."

My eyes met hers and I saw the most beautiful emotions. Hope. Love. Adoration. "Ever since Mike came into our lives, I found myself constantly comparing myself to him. When he hurt you, Annabeth, I didn't know what I was doing. I wasn't there to stop it from happening-"

She placed a finger to my lips, shaking her head. "The Fates have a plan for us, they always do. They might not be good at times but they have our entire future set up for us. We can't change our past, Percy. We just have to accept it."

Her hand touched the scar on her collarbone, tracing it with her fingertips. "I'm alive, we're alive, and we're together."

"That's all that matters." I continued.

It was quite unusual how we were only just facing the pain head on two years after we experienced it. During that time span, we always either ran from it or act like it never happened. But ever since we started senior year, the memories and nightmares bombarded us, enough that we were traumatized by it once again. This was when we actually talked about it, talked about the same things over and over again because we needed to find reassurance. She was never tired to accommodate me when I do need her.

Because she will always be there.

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**I love it when guys get all emotional. Please don't think that I'm repeating ideas here because I do that for a reason, thank you very much. I really hope you like this chapter and if it was worth the wait. **

**Ask me anything or if you want me to improve on something (just please, please, please be nice about it) or if you have any suggestions on what I'm going to write for the next chapter, please say so. REVIEWWSSSSS!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Hey guys! I hope this didn't take so long and I've been doing my very best not to make you wait as much as before.**

**Warning: slight cursing towards the end**

**Oh and Mike's back!**

**Disclaimer: Percy Jackson and the Olympians is not mine to own.**

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Mike:

I saw the entire thing.

No, I wasn't following them. I just so happened to be really close by when they started screaming at each other, with the man I hated the most being the one who initiated it in the first place. Curiosity has overwhelmed me, of course, so I decided to come closer to hear a few keywords: blacking out, pity…

You may be asking why the hell I'm even here. Apparently, my mother wanted me to come with her to my little sister's school to talk to her teachers. I didn't argue because I totally respect their authority and stuff but I had totally no idea why, out of all the places in New York, this has to be the one we went to.

Coincidental much? I think not.

The only possible explanation for my situation is that God hates me. With a burning passion. He meant for this to happen. Was it payback for the many wrong things I did in the past? Ugh! The next thing I know, they're going to trap me in an empty classroom and beat the crap out of me again. And I just healed after the last time.

So, I watched as the girl I still loved walk away with her fiancé to the front door. They're leaving already? I had a bad feeling about what they will be doing inside that apartment, alone. "Mike," someone called from behind me. I realized soon enough that it was my sister. "What are you looking at?"

"Nothing," I mumbled, attempting to turn around but she caught me by the arm. "What?" The annoyance was overpowering every other emotion I had.

She frowned, "I haven't you seen this stressed out since you came home with all of those bruises. What's wrong?" Sometimes, she could be so much like my mother it was sad.

"I just saw him again, no big deal." Lillian, aka my sister, frowned as if she just realized who 'him' was. Her eyes widened comically before her pupils dilated in anger. It was quite funny how she's the one watching over me when it's supposed to be the other way around.

I had to stop her from confronting them personally because it was no use. They radiated power. If you ever got too close, you tend to want to bow down and kiss their feet. "Stop, it's not a good idea. Just forget about it."

"I can't just 'forget about it', Mike! You couldn't stand properly for a week because of them. You know we have to do something." Before I could grab hold of her arm, she was marching over to where the four others left were with her arms crossed. I groaned in frustration before following after her. It wasn't like I doubt her abilities. It was just that her tantrums wouldn't help at all here, especially with them.

Jason and Nico turned around just in time to see her. Lillian froze in place, slightly dazed at the sight of them. See, I knew she stood no chance against them. "Um… hello?" The emo mumbled awkwardly, frowning.

"Yes, do you happen to be the one called Percy Jackson?" she croaked, not yet recovering fully. I'm just glad that she had a voice.

I saw the male blonde roll his eyes at the question. "No. Percy just left earlier. Is there anything we could do for you?" His tone was sarcastic, annoyed. Thalia didn't look any better.

"My brother is the guy he beat up just a few months ago. I believe he deserves an apology. You can be reported for doing this!" She pointed a shaky finger towards their faces.

The motherly looking woman standing close beside them raised an eyebrow, "You never told me that Percy almost killed someone. We could have done something." She shook her head in disapproval but smiled nonetheless. She must have been his mom because she did have quite a resemblance on him. And the others seemed to respect her presence.

"Look, we don't know who you're talking about so please just leave." Piper added softly. I went through the exact same trance again and soon realized that she had some sort of power that made other people do what she says. That explains why Nico automatically gave Thalia her album back. That explains why Lillian is walking straight to my direction without a second thought. Ugh, I can't believe I didn't see it any sooner.

They walked away as if nothing happened.

She looked at me straight in the eye, the fear still present but replaced with a much more dominant emotion: Adoration. "Remind me again how Percy looks like." She mumbled to me, placing a hand on my shoulder to support herself. "Because I doubt that no one can look better than those boys."

"Lil! Don't be fooled by how they look." I whispered annoyingly. "Remember, they're not good people. I know you can feel the power that they have. It makes my skin itch every time I'm close to them."

I could see the frown that suddenly replaced the dreamy smile. "Yeah, I felt it too." She sighed, "I wonder what they're hiding. Do you have any clue?"

"No. They're very careful. If it wasn't so weird, I wouldn't have thought them as anything else but popular jocks. They might not even be human." I declared confidently, gauging my sister's reaction.

Her eyes widened at my declaration, "Mike, I would accept anything but not that. You've been reading way too many comics to believe them as anything _but _human. Reality doesn't accept that, remember. It's not possible."

"We don't know if they've been exposed to radiation or came from another planet! They might be aliens trying to take over the world for all we know. We have to investigate."

She shook her head. "I'm curious, I really am, but I'm not going to stalk them. I'm not that kind of girl."

My shoulders slumped in defeat. Seeing that the atmosphere turned tense, I tried to focus on changing the subject. "How come you don't know who Percy is? Isn't he supposed to be really popular?"

"I don't really focus much on social hierarchy, dear brother. I heard people talking about him but I didn't care enough to find out how he looks like. So what if he's Percy Jackson? I'm sure that he's not as perfect as other people say he is." She crossed her arms and stuck her nose up in the air. I smirked lightly. Yup, that's Lillian for you.

"Then why did you look so affected when you saw Jason and Nico?" I teased, my eyes bright with mirth.

She stomps her foot like what reality TV stars do. "I'm still a girl, Mikey." She said that as if it explained everything. It probably did but I'm too naïve to see it. "Come on, we're supposed to meet mom and dad by the parking lot ten minutes ago. They're probably pissed." Lil was always the one that reminds me cuz I tend to forget more than I should.

I took a backwards glanced at where the weird group once was and my eyebrow furrowed in confusion. They were hiding something, something that Annabeth probably didn't know. Sure she's a genius and everything but she was blinded by Percy and his lies. I'm going to make her see the truth and I won't stop until I do.

Thalia:

"He suspects something." I told my closest friends, leaning against the wall beside the lockers. We were in the abandoned hallways where no one ever goes. It's the best place to actually talk privately. "I could feel it."

Jason nodded in agreement, "We have to be very careful around him and his sister. I don't know what's going to happen once he finds out what we really are." He frowned at the fact. "Percy and Annabeth have to know about this."

Piper shot her boyfriend a glare, "No, they don't. We just have to remind them not to show our powers and that's it. We're not going to tell them about the entire Mike incident. Remember what will happen to them. We can't afford Percy blacking out. They have enough problems already."

"She's right," Leo inserted, "We'll risk not telling them everything. But we have to limit our powers. Piper, I know you charmspeaked Lillian a while ago."

The daughter of Aphrodite raised her hands in surrender. "I wasn't in the mood to deal with them. It was only right. Plus, Thalia caused a storm last Thursday just so that classes will be suspended."

"Oh please," I rolled my eyes, "Jason flew during gym class which just so happened to be basketball."

"Yeah and Nico didn't just shadow travel to the teacher's lounge to see what they're talking about." My brother retorted, clearly offended by being accused a cheater.

Nico huffed indignantly, "Guys, fighting will get us nowhere." He said, "We all had our slip-ups but we can't help it. I heard my dad once say that if a demigod doesn't use his powers for a very long time, they're eventually going to go away. We just have to be a little more discreet about it, or at least do this at home."

After a few more arguments, we came to an agreement. We weren't going to tell Percabeth about the encounter but we _are _going to tell them to be careful, especially when there's a monster attack. "I hear someone coming." I frowned at the statement. No one will ever have the right mind to go in here. This was, after all, an _abandoned _hallway.

"Do you have any idea who it is?" I asked Nico, walking quietly to the corner and trying to peak at the stranger.

He shook his head, "It's new, isn't anyone we know."

Two male shadows appeared on the opposite wall, walking with heavy footsteps. They seemed to be laughing about something and I immediately regretted being curious. "Did you see what happened to Jackson a while ago?" The man on the left sneered to his friend. "Ugh, I don't get why so many girls chase after him. He acts like such a baby. And to think that he's the captain of the swim team. Pathetic."

I clenched my hands into fists. How dare they talk about my cousin like that! "But did you see the chick she was with? Damn, she was _hot. _How do you even get a girl like that anymore?" The other one said. And now they're insulting my best friend. These guys should really stop talking by now. I'm going to kill them if they say another word.

"I personally think that we should report this to coach. Say that his perfect little Jackson is a weak, spineless wimp who needs the help of a girl. Let's see if that kicks him out of the team." He laughed maniacally as if his plan was flawless.

My anger got the best of me. Before anyone could hold me back, I was immediately in front of the bullies. My eyes widened when I realized that it was Kevin Gilberts and Bobby Stewart. They were two of Percy's good swim buddies. Why the hell would they betray him like this?

Their footsteps faltered and they stared at me in shock. "Oh, Thalia. Hi!" Bobby mused as if we were friends. Yeah right. I knew I should never have trusted them. I should have seen the jealous looks they give Percy whenever he was close.

"Oh please. Don't lie to me or any of my friends anymore. I heard what you said about my cousin. For your information, Percy isn't a wimp just because you saw him cry. He went through hell and everyone was surprised that he's still sane after that experience. Crying isn't a sign of weakness; it's a sign that you actually have a heart."

Kevin rolled his eyes at me, "Please." He smirked, "No one believes in that shit anymore. Crying is for wimps. Tough guys like me never cry. Annabeth deserves a tough guy." They both laughed at his joke as if it was actually funny. It wasn't.

It happened too fast. Bobby yelped in pain and so did the other man until it came to the fact that both of them were unconscious with hair standing up and ash on their faces. I frowned, staring at my hands. "I swear I didn't do anything!" I exclaimed, looking at the idiots. "Jason…"

Truth be told, my little brother was standing there. I have never seen him so angry in his life and it was a surprise because he went through so much for his age. "Assholes." He cursed. "They're stupider than we think if they actually believe the crap that came out of their mouths. They deserved what happened to them."

"Should we tell Percy? He's going to be heartbroken when he hears about this." Piper sighed, leaning against her boyfriend.

I started playing with my hair, a habit I managed to pick up from Annabeth. "It's better if he finds out through us than hear the lies that will come out of their mouths. For all we know, they might make us look like we're the bad guys who attacked them."

He's not going to like this.

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**Alright. End of the chapter Author's note time!**

**I haven't gotten House of Hades yet, sadly. My mom said that she's going to give it to me after I finish To Kill A Mockingbird which I have absolutely no motivation to continue due to the fact that my brain is currently revolving around the world of PJO. Now, I know that the book is really nice but I just can't focus on it.**

**Anyways, please review! Tell me what you think, ask me anything you want, say if I have anything to improve on (but please be nice). Thanks for the support!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Hey-lo. I just realized that there's only gonna be FOUR MORE CHAPTERS TILL I END THIS STORY after this one. That's just sad. Anyways, I finished HoH just a few days ago and it just broke my heart to think that it will take an entire year for the next book to come out. Enough of that, though. Thanks for the support guys! I never thought that I'd have so many people reading something that just came from my imagination. LUV YA ALL!**

**Warning: This chapter contains spoilers from House of Hades. To whoever might not have read it or have not yet finished it, DO NOT READ THIS. I repeat DO NOT READ THIS. Oh well, I'm warning you... Oh and major Percabeth here. Characters might be a little OOC.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians.**

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Annabeth:

My friends came back after a good two hours and there are so many things a girl can do with her fiancé in that amount of time. Let's just say that I won't be standing up properly for the next two days.

But enough of that.

Percy fared his mother well and assured her that he was fine. He faced his fears and he promised that he's going to stop the blackouts as much as possible. I doubt that he would have any reason now that he saw the truth behind my scars. I'm glad that he told me that it was happening again. We finally found a solution, no matter how short term it might be. He has a nasty habit of doubting himself lately. I hope he gets over it.

We were all settled in the living room, waiting for the rest of our friends to tell us what happened after we left. It became a tradition now, ever since the Giant War. _That's odd, _I thought to myself after I noticed how no one was talking. I frowned, _They should be ranting about idiotic mortals and annoying teachers by now. I wonder what's wrong._

"Hey, so what happened?" Percy asked, noticing it too. We usually don't ask anymore because it was almost automatic. This was a very rare occurrence. "Is something wrong?"

Jason looked at his older cousin with sad eyes, "When you left, we went to the hallways to talk. Your mom was still going around school asking about our performance and we took the chance to try and think for once." He bit his bottom lip, "We heard them coming and they were talking about you."

"Them? Who's them?" Percy looked confused, "What aren't you telling me?"

Nico was fiddling with his skull ring, something he only did when he was nervous. Yes, they certainly are keeping something from us. "Look, Perce, we heard them talking about you. They saw what happened before you left, the fighting, the blackout, everything!" He sighed, taking a huge breath of air. "They called you pathetic and weak just because you were at your most vulnerable moment."

My fiancé raised an eyebrow, unsurprised by the information given. "Someone was bound to react like that, I guess. It's quite expected. People in general gossip a lot."

"No, that's not the point." Thalia snapped, annoyed. Percy looked taken aback by the reaction. "They're going to tell your coach that you're not worthy to be captain. They're going to bend the story a lot and make it look like you're a loser."

He looked even more confused now, "I don't get where this is going."

Piper placed a hand on his shoulder as a sign of comfort, I took a step forward just so that I could be beside him. Where was this heading to? "The guys we're talking about are Kevin and Bobby."

At the mention of his two best mortal friends' names, Percy froze. I felt his muscles tense and his pupils dilated. "No, impossible. They'd never do anything…"

"We're really, really sorry, Percy. We just wanted you to find out from us and know our side of the story first before they try and convince you of theirs. You know we're telling the truth." The daughter of Aphrodite looked close tears. I barely even noticed the emotions welling up inside me: Pity, sadness, anger.

He sat down on the sofa and I took the seat beside him. "Hey, you okay?" I asked, tracing soothing circles on his back.

"Yeah. I just didn't expect them to do that." Percy ran a hand through his jet black hair and stared at me intently. "I guess I didn't see it the first time I met them."

"It's not your fault. They were just jealous of you and what you have. Just forget about them, okay?" I assured him, hoping that my voice didn't break. I hated it when I see him this way, especially since he didn't deserve this at all. It wasn't his fault that people envied him. He should never be affected like this.

But he was never the same after Tartarus.

I remembered what happened right before we closed the doors, seeing Bob and Damasen distracting the physical embodiment of hell just long enough for us to reach the top. It was one of the most heartbreaking things I had to go through and Percy was so much worse. He never took advantage of people again after that. He was careful never to ignore his friends like he did with the amnesiac titan. I wished we could have helped though, prevented their deaths….

"I just figured that, if I treated them well enough, they'd actually be good to me. I figured that they'd actually treat me as a friend." He buried his head on his palms, his fingers threading through his hair. I guess we were thinking about the same thing, like we usually do nowadays.

Thalia sat on his other side, placing a reassuring hand on his knee. "Mortals are impossible at times. They're too spontaneous, for my taste. I don't want anything to do with most of their kind."

"We all can agree that human beings are just machines not meant to be fixed. _Regular _human beings, though, are much too complicated. And that's me we're talking about." Leo laughed, collapsing on the recliner.

I leaned against my fiancé, hoping he'd just forget about those douchebags since they just got in the way. Knowing him, that's probably the last thing he'll ever do but it was good to hope again. "Just last year, we don't even have to worry about this high school drama. Compared to what we've been through, this is pathetic." Jason chimed,

"Agreed." I frowned. The war with Gaea seemed like an entire lifetime ago but we still had fresh battle wounds that haven't at all healed. A lot of them still worried about what Percy and I went through in Tartarus. "We still haven't healed fully yet."

"We're not meant to, I guess, at least not for a very long time." Piper managed, "What happened in the war is too hard to get over easily. Even after two years, we're still suffering the consequences of our actions. But that's the best part of it. We're actually _healing. _As slow as it might be."

We all looked at each other. Just a year ago, we were merely strangers who were forced on a similar fate. Now, we were the best of friends who fit together so perfectly that it was almost terrifying. I missed Hazel and Frank a lot now. They are missing so much. But they had duties in Rome. Plus, Frank was praetor now. He couldn't just drop all the weight of leadership back in Reyna's arms. That's just too cruel. Though I wished they would visit from time to time.

"After what happened during the past two wars," Thalia stated confidently, "The immortals know better than to cross us. Hell, even Ares admits that he respects us for what he did. And that's something. I'm guessing we don't have much to deal with for a long time."

"Don't jinx it, Thals." Jason scolded her sister but smiling anyways, "We don't want another war at our hands so soon."

Thunder rumbled over the horizon and I just rolled my eyes, "See, even the gods agree." Soon enough, they were arguing like the siblings they are. I guess they had a lot of catching up to do after they lost so much valuable time together.

I looked at Percy. "You're not a bad friend, Seaweed Brain." I told him sincerely, "Anyone who could keep us together like this even if two of us are in the other side of the country is definitely not a _bad _friend. Those mortals don't know what they're missing. Don't put too much thought to them."

"Yeah, you're right." He smirked his famous smirk, "You're _always _right." He still looked at little bothered though.

"What's on your mind?" I asked, playing with his fingers. "You seem… distracted."

Percy stared at me for a long time, "I'm just thinking about the possibilities. What if Damasen never came and I had to help Bob with Tartarus? What if I was the one who had to press that button for twelve minutes while you ride your way to the top? The Fates can be so unexpected. I don't even know if what they have ahead of me is still worth something."

"That's true." I nodded, fighting off a smile. He might take it the wrong way. "But Damasen _did _come. He was the one that saved Bob and Small Bob from Tartarus. We got off that elevator together and that's the only important thing. Don't think of what could have happened because that will just ruin you."

"But… our future." He looked terrified now, looking as if he was back in that hellhole seeing Gaea's husband for the first time again. "For all we know, there might _be _another war and what if we don't win? What if I lose you? What if you lose me? I just can't imagine life without you, Annabeth."

My friends noticed how depressing the atmosphere turned. Gone were the light conversations they were having. Their eyes contorted to worry almost immediately. "I guess that's the best thing about the future." I whispered to him and only to him. "We don't know what's going to happen so we only hope for the best. I'm just sure that the Fates are kind enough not to give us another war to worry about. We've been through enough. You're overthinking things, Percy." I squeezed his hand lightly, "The future's meant to be unpredictable."

"Unpredictable…" He echoed, his voice dripping with sadness.

"And no matter how crazy the future will get, we'll always be here for you." Piper added, "Because that's what family is for. You can't get rid of us _that _easily, Percy."

For the first time in the last twenty minutes, my Seaweed Brain actually smiled. And it was the most beautiful smile I have ever seen. His eyes were still filled with worry and grief but his lips contradicted every miserable emotion he was feeling. He's not even stopping himself from feeling. He's using the sadness and anger and pain to fuel his happiness. And slowly, that smile defeated the pain.

Percy's back.

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**Sooooo... How'd you like it? Tell me what you think! Feel free to ask me anything or comment on how I write if you want me to improve (say it nicely) and give as much suggestions as your heart desires.**

**Oh and I didn't finished To Kill a Mockingbird yet. Finally convinced my mom to buy me the book. I might as well be signing my own death penalty. BUT WHO CARESS!**

**Buh-bye and thanks for the support.**


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